Project G Part 3 - GODZILLA VS THE MECHANICAL MONSTER
by DHT
Summary: The (long overdue) continuation to my ongoing Godzilla series. The UN has created a new war machine, the fearsome MechaGodzilla, to take over the fighting from Godzilla. However, when the two come into conflict with one another, the outcome of their battle will determine the fate of the human race!
1. A Rude Awakening

Kumi Honda shot upright in bed, raised from her slumber by a wailing siren. She was in her room at the Iwato Island base. Before she had time to properly react, a guard threw open her door and stepped inside.

"You're on call, Doc."

Honda rubbed the sleep from her eyes and jumped out of bed. Duty was calling! "Where?"

"Hawaii. Colonel says he'll debrief you _en route_. He wants you on the jet – now!"

* * *

A short time earlier, residents in the community of Waikiki in Honolulu were awakened in the early morning hours by a deafening crash. Many raced outside to see what was happening. Lying on its side in the shallows of the harbor was a large ship smashed in half. Wary yet curious, some walked slowly toward the site, hoping to get a closer look.

Suddenly, a huge creature loomed up from out of the sea. It was a crab the size of a blue whale, with pincers that were each nearly the size of its torso; its left pincer was missing its smaller claw, but still looked formidable. With its craggy body making a harsh crackling sound as it moved, the crab climbed out of the water and advanced on the city.

This was the first time a monster had come ashore in Hawaii and the first encounter for most of Honolulu's residents. In the face of disaster, they forgot what they had been instructed to do by the authorities and panicked. They scampered back into their homes, jumped into their cars, or ran screaming in the opposite direction. The streets were cluttered within seconds, making escape difficult – and feeding easy for the crab.

With a single snap of its pincer, the loathsome creature snatched up dozens of fleeing civilians, impaling them on the serrations of its claws, and raised them to its mandibles so it could devour them one at a time. The crab repeated this process several times, smashing through buildings to get to the biggest clusters of people. After nearly twenty minutes of feasting, the monster turned and retreated to the sea, clacking its strong pincer in satisfaction. Those at the head of the crowd did not know that the danger was gone; many ran until they collapsed and were trampled by those with the strength to keep going.

* * *

It was believed that Iwato Island had never been inhabited by anything but bacteria. The island was solid rock with scarcely a trace of loose soil, so no vegetation grew. No plants, no herbivores; no prey animals, no predators. It was, by any definition, a dead island.

Yet it was useful to Project G for a few reasons. First, no inhabitants meant nobody would trouble to stake a claim on the territory, nor was there any need for concern about conservation. The second was its immense, naturally-occurring underground cave system, into which the base was built, saving time and money that would otherwise have gone towards raising buildings. Finally, there was its location, which placed them equidistant from the most frequent targets of monster attacks – Japan, coastal Asia, and the Philippines – while still allowing for a reasonable response time to each.

Hawaii was a different matter.

Honda took Colonel Omori's call to urgency with complete seriousness. Still in her pajamas, she paused only to grab a pair of boots and a trench coat before sprinting down the hall toward the hangar. Waiting for her was the AC-3 _Shirasagi_ , an advanced, nuclear-powered VTOL built for fast long-distance travel and designed specifically to transport Honda on missions. Her pilot, Commander Takashima, had already started up the engines and lowered the ramp; no sooner had Honda scampered up inside then the ramp was closed and the _Shirasagi_ ascended the vertical shaft leading out of the hangar.

Honda donned a headset and tested her microphone. "Honda reporting. Colonel, do you read me?"

" _Loud and clear, Doctor. Takashima, proceed to the pool."_

"Roger," said Takashima. "Proceeding to pool."

The huge pool of water at one end of the island was actually a crater, formed by a meteorite impact millions of years earlier that left a permanent lining of radioactive minerals. Later, when Project G took over the island, the seaward portion of the crater wall was blasted out and a solid gate built in its place leading directly into the sea. The radioactive pool now served as the home of Project G's greatest asset.

The gate parted slowly, allowing water to pour out of the pool and into the ocean. A bright flash danced across the pool as its sole living resident emerged with a feisty growl. Godzilla, the king of the monsters, had awoken!

Honda's telepathic connection to Godzilla had become so strong that she no longer required intense concentration to communicate with him, and after numerous missions, he knew the drill when the gate opened. He waded into open water and dutifully nodded toward the _Shirasagi._ Takashima turned the ship to the southeast and sped away from the island. Godzilla plunged beneath the surface of the waves and followed, his powerful limbs and tail granting him speed unmatched by another creature in the water. The only question was, would it be enough?

"Big G is clear and away," reported Takashima.

"Alright, Omori," said Honda, stifling a yawn. "How about you fill us in now?"

" _We just received word of giant crab attacking Honolulu before retreating into the sea."_

"A crab?" Honda replied excitedly. "Did they say anything about an injured chela?"

" _A what?"_

"Its claws. Was one of them broken?"

" _Hmm…Yes, I think they did say something about that."_

"It's Ganimes," Honda said with a scowl. "We almost had him once before and he escaped…but not before Godzilla gave him something to remember us by." She cracked her knuckles loudly, her lips turning up at one end in a mischievous sneer. "Maybe this time we can put him out of our misery for good!"

" _Slow down there, Lady Hangaku. According to the report. Ganimes returned to the sea right away. By the time you get there, it may be long gone."_

"I know that. Still, we can always track him down! Isn't that right, G?"

Godzilla reared his head up from the water and roared with anticipation.

Honda's sneer became a bold grin. "Hear that?"

" _I sure did. We'll keep you posted on any further updates. In the meantime, maybe you should get some sleep. It's a long way to Hawaii, after all, and you'll need to be ready when you get there."_

"I'll give it a try. Honda out."

* * *

Meanwhile, five hundred kilometers north of Midway, famed inventor and military advisor Harvey J. Nicholson sat in a bathysphere, ready to dive beneath the waves. As the submersible was raised over the water, the captain of the ship carrying it spoke to Nicholson over their radio.

" _Mister Nicholson, are you sure you want to do this yourself?"_

Nicholson rolled his eyes as he answered, "Yes, for the hundredth time, I'm sure! If this turns out to be what we've been looking for, I want to be the one to identify it. Now, I'm ready if you are. Put me in!"

" _Roger that."_

The bathysphere was lowered into the water on a cable, gradually descending farther and farther down. Nicholson looked out through the porthole, watching impatiently as he saw only fish, fish, and more fish. After about a minute, he asked impatiently, "Can't this damn thing go down any faster?"

" _I'll see what I can do,"_ replied the captain.

Nicholson felt only a mild increase in speed and resigned himself to wait it out. With the natural light growing dim, he turned on the vessel's external lights to better observe his surroundings. However, the lights flickered and went out as he approached the seafloor. Further aggravated, Nicholson barked into the radio transmitter, "I thought I told you to have your men double check the lights! How am I supposed-?" His voice trailed off as he realized there was only static coming through. The lights inside the vessel began to blink. "Oh, wonderful!" he muttered, fiddling with the controls to see if he could find the source of the problem.

Suddenly, the radio began to crackle and whine, with the captain's voice barely making it through in a garbled message. _"Power fail-electri-isturbance-bort mission-pull up!"_

"No!" shouted Nicholson. "Keep lowering me! This might be our only chance to find the-"

Nicholson noticed something in the water outside, some sort of glowing red object. "It's here!" he murmured. "The Xilien power core!"

The external lights kicked back on. Nicholson looked beyond the glowing object and saw a huge horned figure looking right back at him.

The bathysphere was suddenly ripped free from its towline, plummeting toward the seafloor. As Nicholson was tossed about inside the submersible, he could just barely see the monster shooting upward toward the ship. The bathysphere crashed onto the seafloor with sufficient force to obliterate the glass of the porthole and knock out all of the lights. Nicholson spent his final moments cold, alone, and in complete darkness.

* * *

Honda had only just found slumber with the approach of dawn when it was ripped away from her yet again.

"Doctor Honda," said Takashima, nudging her awake. "More news coming in."

Omori's voice came over the radio. _"Doc, we just got word of another attack north of Midway."_

"Ganimes again?"

" _Unidentified. A US Navy research vessel was destroyed by an electrical attack, possibly from a creature. We've been ordered to change course and check it out."_

Honda was flabbergasted. "Now wait a minute! For all we know, Ganimes could still be near Honolulu, waiting to attack again. We can't afford to go off on a wild goose chase when there are still lives in danger!"

" _I agree but it's not my call. General Martin has given the order and says this takes precedent."_

"What's so important about this boat, anyway?"

" _Nicholson was onboard, trying to recover an important resource."_

"Important to whom?"

Omori sighed. _"Doc, we don't have any choice. Go! Ganimes disappears for weeks or months after every attack. We can go after him another day."_

No less flustered, Honda leaned back in her seat. "Roger that. Takashima, get us to Midway."

* * *

Daybreak found the people of Honolulu in despair. In minutes, Ganimes had laid waste to the beachfront, toppling buildings and killing hundreds. Residents swarmed the streets, many of them searching for their loved ones. Fire and medical crews struggled to do their jobs with so much chaos and congestion. Amidst the confusion, there was one question on everyone's mind:

Where was Godzilla?

For most of them, this was their first experience with a monster attack; hearing about these incidents from far away, it was easy to get the impression that Godzilla always popped up just in time to save the day, when in reality Project G spent more time attempting to catch monsters after the fact, owing to time and distance. In this particular case, Hawaii was simply too far from Iwato for a timely intervention. Nevertheless, all the people of Honolulu knew at that moment was that the help they had hoped for had yet to come. Grief became anxiety, and from anxiety, doubt began to grow.

The airport was flooded with people hoping to escape the city, making it difficult for those who had already planned to leave that day to reach their flights. A ticket booth worker found herself completely overwhelmed as dozens tried to get her attention at once. "Please," she begged them, "one at a time!" However, they continued to shout over her and each other.

"I've got to get out of here now!"

"What if that thing is still in the harbor?"

"Please, my children back home must be worried!"

"It could come back at any time!"

"We shouldn't even have to _buy_ tickets! We're refugees now!"

The aircrew of one departing flight were having no better luck keeping passengers calm. The anxiety was intense and felt like a physical force aboard the plane, as though a mind-altering gas had been let lose. Children and old folk wept inconsolably. Flight attendants nervously stayed out of arm's reach as passengers tried to grab them and insist that they needed assistance before everyone else. A fight broke out between two men over a window seat.

The captain turned on his intercom and tried to ease the situation with an announcement. "Ladies and gentlemen, I understand that many of you are grieving and in shock, still putting the pieces together after the tragedy of last night. However, that's behind us now and we can't let those feelings erupt into…" He stopped abruptly as he looked down at the water. Forgetting the intercom was still on, he muttered in horror, "Oh my God, it's coming back."

The passengers forgot their momentary concerns and flew to the windows to see for themselves. Sure enough, Ganimes had reappeared and was advancing on the same point it had attacked before, where there were many people still unable to flee to safety.

* * *

Takashima had just switched on the automatic pilot and was getting out some rice balls to snack on when the call came through.

" _Come in_ Shirasagi _! This is the Honolulu Coast Guard."_

" _Shirasagi_ here. We read you."

" _The giant crab monster has resurfaced and is coming back for another attack!"_

Before Takashima could respond, Honda replied for him. "Roger, Honolulu. We are headed your way with Godzilla."

Takashima looked at her in surprise. "Aren't you forgetting something?"

"No, I'm not. Ganimes is the immediate threat. Anything else can wait."

"But our orders-"

"Screw our orders," said Honda. "You put us back on course to Hawaii this instant or I'll tell Godzilla to blow us out of the sky!"

Takashima swallowed hard. "Yes, Doctor!"

No sooner had they changed course then Colonel Omori began to shout at them over the radio. _"Honda! What are you doing? Your orders are to investigate the missing research vessel and eliminate the culprit!"_

"Sorry, Colonel," said Honda. "Those people in Honolulu are sitting ducks. Ganimes must have realized we weren't coming and decided to take a second crack, and this time he might not settle for a quick snack run."

" _Honda, don't do this! You'll jeopardize our entire operation!"_

"Tell the general if he wants to have me court martialed for saving his favorite resort town, he can go right ahead!"

* * *

Ganimes had, just as Honda guessed, become overconfident after the lack of reprisal for his first attack. For nearly an hour, he terrorized Honolulu once again, killing and eating more than a thousand people while toppling buildings left and right. Fighter jets bombarded the monster, but his shell was so thick that their missiles only chipped away bit by bit.

Undaunted, Ganimes moved south toward Diamond Head, but as he neared the volcanic cone, he heard a familiar roar and whirled around to face the sea. Godzilla had arrived and was wading ashore, eyes fixed on his quarry like lasers. Ganimes reared up as high as his legs would let him go and stood eye to eye with his old enemy. Godzilla leaned forward with his tail straight out behind him and charged. Ganimes scurried backwards until his back was against the Diamond Head cone. Feeling cornered, he raised out both pincers, snapping his good one, but the gesture did not dissuade Godzilla in the least; he pushed right through the claws and smashed into Ganimes, the force of the impact plowing them both through the wall of the cone. Godzilla remained in the opening of the wall, blocking Ganimes from escaping. The crab tried to climb the walls, but Godzilla blasted him with his atomic breath, knocking him back to the valley floor.

As the _Shirasagi_ hovered over the battlefield, Takashima commented, "Why doesn't Godzilla just pin him down and fry him?"

"It's the shell," said Honda. "The heat can't get through. The concussive force of the blast is just enough to throw him temporarily off balance."

Ganimes righted himself and charged, both claws raised high over his head. Godzilla planted his feet and held his stance, arms outstretched. When they collided again, Godzilla was nearly pushed through the hole in the wall, but stood his ground even as the crab's claws pelted his head. As he tried to push back, the good pincer ensnared his neck and dug into his flesh. Godzilla cried out in pain but continued to push. Ganimes pulled Godzilla's face toward his mouth, but before he could take a bite, Godzilla leaned his head to the left and bit down on Ganimes' eye stock, crushing it. Agonized, the crab released his grip and pulled back, only for Godzilla to incinerate his other eye.

Blinded, Ganimes shuffled awkwardly around, tripping and bumping into the walls of the cone. When at one point he fell over on his back, Godzilla seized the chance and lifted him up over his head. He then carried Ganimes to the top of the cone wall and dropped him back down to the valley floor. Ganimes landed on his back, rupturing his shell, but he continued to squirm. Godzilla flexed his legs and jumped, landing atop the crab and smashing him into the ground with a horrible squishing sound. The good pincer continued to twitch and flail about even as life ebbed away, until Godzilla ripped the entire arm from its socket and held it aloft with a roar of triumph.

Honda applauded his victory and leaned back with a sigh of relief. "I knew he wouldn't get away this time! Well, what do you say, Takashima? Shall we stay here and get some rest before heading back to Iwato?"

"Sounds like a plan to me." The pilot switched on his radio and called their headquarters. " _Shiarasagi_ to Iwato. Target destroyed. Request permission to stay the evening for R&R."

Omori's voice was sharp and urgent as he replied, _"Negative! Turn around and get back here immediately!"_

Takashima groaned and rubbed at his eyes. "Sir, I'm exhausted! I don't know if I can make the flight back today."

" _Then we'll send a carrier for you to land and swap out with another pilot. I need Doctor Honda back here ASAP."_

Honda and Takashima exchanged a concerned glance. "Affirmative," said Takashima after a moment of silence. "Heading your way."


	2. Disillusionment

The _Shirasagi_ set down on an American aircraft carrier about two hours later. Godzilla circled the ship from underwater to ward off any approaching hostiles. Takashima went to the rear cabin of the aircraft to rest, while Honda was escorted by a surly-looking officer to the carrier's command room where General Martin stood waiting, hands folded behind his back.

"General," said Honda, trying to sound cordial.

Martin made no such attempt. He was completely serious and businesslike. "Doctor. I have some photos here that I'd like you to take a look at. These are of the ship that was sunk…" His tone became slightly agitated, though he tried to hide it, as he added, "…the one that you were ordered to investigate."

Honda looked over the pictures without acknowledging Martin's frustration. The images showed the ship looking partially burned and crushed, although what stood out was a huge gash on one side, around which the metal was melted and warped.

"And this," said Martin, handing her another photo, "was taken by a patrol plane moments later, not far from the attack site. They could only trail it for about half a mile before losing sight of it."

The last picture was blurry but showed the creature from above, swimming on its belly with its horn sticking out of the water like a shark's fin.

"Any ideas?"

Honda needed only a few moments of consideration before venturing a guess. "Yes. I can't be absolutely certain, but it looks like we're dealing with an _Astrapeosaurus burtannus_ , the only known dinosaur capable of bioelectrogenesis."

"Bioelectro what?"

"It can generate electrical fields, like an electric eel. I can tell by the horn and the damage to the metal on the ship." Honda rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "We don't really know much else about Burtannus, but we believe it was a piscivore, so it would probably only attack if it felt threatened."

Martin frowned and folded his hands across his chest. "Well, if it's still in the area, we need to remove it ASAP."

Honda handed his pictures back. "What's so special that you have to-?"

"It concerns a different program," Martin interrupted. "One that you don't have clearance to."

Honda raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Project M, perhaps?"

Martin changed the subject. "Look, Doctor, your contribution to the UNMCC has been a game changer. Without Project G, we'd still be in a losing fight, and I don't know that we could have defeated Gaira or the Megaguirus without Godzilla's help."

"But…?"

"But it's time to face the facts. Project G has been spread too thin. Godzilla can't protect everyone. It's time for a new strategy."

"Again I have to ask…is this about Project M?"

Martin gave an exasperated sigh. "Yes, it is, though I'm not sure how you found out about that."

"All I know is that Arkoff and Nicholson are involved, making some kind of new tech."

"And that's all you need to know. Of course, now that Nicholson's gone, the UN isn't as confident anymore."

"Nicholson?"

"Yes. He was on the ship, remember? We didn't find a single survivor. He was one of our big guns, like you. Without him, Project M could falter, so instead I've been forced to push it ahead of schedule." Martin leaned forward and lowered his voice. "We might not be in this situation now if you had-"

"Had what?" Honda hissed defensively. "Left thousands to die instead of going after your precious…whatever the hell it was?"

"It wasn't your call to make. Project M could potentially save millions more lives, but now it's in jeopardy. The UN council is discussing disciplinary action for your disobedience of a direct order. You are dismissed."

Martin turned his back as the intimidating officer led Honda out. She doubted that the UN would get rid of her; she was the only one who could handle Godzilla, and without such a powerful ally, their means of defense would be severely weakened. However, if Project M, whatever that actually meant, came to fruition, then maybe it could happen after all. She tried not to think about it.

As she boarded the _Shirasagi_ , her escort followed and took the pilot's seat. "I'll be taking you back to Iwato Island," he said in a gruff voice.

"Iwato?" asked Honda in confusion. "We're not going after the Burtannus?"

"Negative. Martin ordered me to take you back to your headquarters."

Honda choked back a derisive laugh. _So much for urgency_ , she thought _. They were willing to sacrifice an entire city just to get what they want, yet now want me to take a time out instead of doing something about it!_ She gazed out the window at the beauty of the afternoon sun reflecting off the ocean. _Oh, well. At least I can get some rest…_

* * *

Several hours later, Honda awoke with a dull headache. With one hand pressed against her brow, she started to rise but felt pressure against her chest. It took a moment to realize that she was still on the ship, strapped into the co-pilot's seat. The sun was still almost directly overhead, owing to them heading west. Leaning back, she asked her pilot, "How much longer till we get to Iwato?"

"About thirty minutes."

Honda decided to strike up a conversation. "You got a name?"

"As far as you're concerned, my name is Lieutenant."

Honda was surprised by his response, but tried again. "So, uh, have you been to Japan before?"

"No. My pa fought in the islands during the war. We're a military family, and we don't go abroad otherwise."

"Well, that's interesting. You know, things have changed quite a lot since the war. I think you might find-"

"Look, lady," the pilot growled. "I'm under orders to provide transport and supervision, so that's what I'm doing. I don't get paid to make small talk. Is that clear?"

Honda tried not to take offense. "Fine," she replied, crossing her arms and looking back out the window.

There was silence between the two for a while, but then the lieutenant began asking questions.

"I am curious, though, Missy. How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

"How do you control that big green lizard of yours? They say it's mind powers or something, but come on! What is it, really? Dog whistle? Valium? A big stick and a giant carrot?"

Thinking the lieutenant was warming up and being conversational, Honda relaxed and chuckled. "No, what you've heard is true. There's a direct mental link between me and Godzilla that we use to communicate by thought."

"Oh, stop it!" said the lieutenant, making it clear that he was serious. "We both know that's impossible. No games, no jokes. Just tell me."

Honda stammered in confusion. "I…I'm telling you the truth! There's no trick to it. We just…"

The lieutenant frowned and shook his head. "You've got some nerve, lady, talking to an officer like that."

Indignant, Honda snapped back, "Stop calling me 'lady' like that! I'm a scientist, not a maid!"

"I don't have to call you any-"

"It's 'Doctor'! And as long as you're on assignment with Project G, you're under my authority, so unless you want to be called 'Grunt', you'll refer to me by my proper title. Do you understand that, Lieutenant?"

The officer's lip quivered as he tried to suppress a sneer. "Yes, Doctor."

"Good. Now tell me, what's your name?"

The lieutenant mumbled.

"What was that? Did you say 'Muffin'?"

"Dunham!" he snorted in frustration.

Honda grinned mischievously. "Nah, I think I prefer 'Muffin' – how about you? Lieutenant Muffin, call the Iwato base and notify them of our position."

Dunham bristled as he took hold of the radio transmitter. "Yes, Doctor."

"Oh, and by the way, Godzilla isn't a green lizard. He's a grey dinosaur. Big difference!"

* * *

After landing, Honda and Dunham went straight to the control room. The chamber had a large wall-mounted video screen for displaying satellite and broadcast footage, as well as a computer that took up another entire wall, a dozen radio operators listening for calls from all over the Pacific, additional crewmen remotely monitoring the various systems of the Iwato facility, and Colonel Omori at his desk reading some kind of report. Honda approached cautiously, trying to maintain her composure in light of her distressing day. "Colonel," she began, "I want to apologize for-"

"Don't bother," replied Omori without looking up. "You chose civilian lives over one of the inventors' pet projects. I would like to think I'd have the willpower to make the same decision."

Honda was flattered but still nervous. "Even if it meant Project G could be shut down?"

Omori raised his eyes. "I don't really think they'd go that far. You pulled it off. The results are on your side. We're not going anywhere"

"General Martin just said it was a possibility. Apparently the Americans aren't happy about the death toll in Hawaii _or_ the loss of Nicholson."

Dunham gave a snort of disdain.

Omori did not acknowledge him. "I've heard the same. To be perfectly frank, though, I don't think they have much of a choice. Project G has put every other approach to shame, and everyone knows it. The Americans will complain, and maybe they should now that we've finally seen our limitations, but they can't do anything more until they've shown they can do better."

Dunham cleared his throat.

Omori's eyes flickered briefly toward the American officer with a look of annoyance before focusing back on Honda. "The only concern we have is President Conway and he doesn't terribly trouble me. Sure, he's ranting all over the airwaves about the UN being evil or something, but that's just his shtick and I can't see the liberal majority in Congress letting him have his way this time. That guy was a regular war hawk before the monster crisis, and now he's just a tedious loudmouth. How a right-wing nutcase like that got elected at a time like this…"

"Excuse me, Colonel," said Dunham through gritted teeth, stepping forward suddenly, fists clenched and arms bulging. He stood a full two meters tall, casting a shadow that fully enveloped the seated Omori. "With all due respect, President Conway is a revered man and the proud leader of the free world. Without his leadership-"

Omori looked back at his papers and waved a dismissive hand. "Duly noted, Lieutenant," he said sarcastically. "At ease."

Dunham stepped back and folded his hands behind him, still looking quite agitated.

"Now, then," Omori continued, "General Martin has announced a meeting at Okinawa, probably a rollout for Project M. It seems that whatever they were after can wait and they're starting without it."

"I see," said Honda. "Do you know what it is? This thing they've been working on?"

"Another war machine, I'd guess. Project L is generally for advanced tech, but this is apparently something much bigger that they've been working on almost since the beginning…"

Again Dunham interjected. "Sir, this civilian does not have clearance for-"

Omori did not stand up but glared straight into Dunham's eyes. "Know your place, Lieutenant!" he said coldly, not raising his voice. "Doctor Honda has spearheaded the most successful operation in the history of the UNMCC. If I believe she should know something, she should know it."

"But General Martin-"

"Is not here! Remember that you are on Japanese soil and, for the time being, under my command. Another outburst, and I'm sending you back to the States – in a dinghy! Now, I imagine you must be tired from your overnight journey, so why don't you remove yourself from here and go to the barracks for a rest?"

Dunham opened his mouth to protest, but stopped as soon as he inhaled a breath; he realized from Omori's tone that this was an order, not an offer, and he would do well to obey. Silently but still obviously perturbed, he saluted and departed.

Omori looked down at his papers again, stacking them and placing them in folders as he continued. "Like I was saying, the rollout is tomorrow morning and I've managed to get permission for you to attend. Granted, I'm still not confident in Arkoff or Nicholson's designs, but if Project M could potentially affect our operations, I think you should be kept in the loop."

"Thank you, sir. When will we be leaving?"

"We'll fly there overnight. The _Shirasagi_ will stay here. I think Takashima can lead Godzilla out if anything comes up.

A radio operator approached Omori's desk. "Sir," he said with a salute, "Godzilla is back and is about to enter his pin."

"Thank you, private. Return to your station."

Honda had almost forgotten that Godzilla had spent an entire day on the move. The poor thing! "Colonel, permission to be dismissed?"

"Granted."

* * *

There was a balcony over Godzilla's quarters. Honda would often go there to commune with him, and today she needed to talk to him more than usual. He sensed her coming and rose from the water.

 _Hello there, friend!_ he said telepathically.

"Hey, big guy!" she replied; she knew she did not have to speak out loud for him to hear her, but it felt more personal that way. "How are you?"

Godzilla drooped his head a bit, like an embarrassed dog. _They're angry, aren't they? The people in charge are angry._

"Yes, they are angry."

 _Why?_

"There was a second monster attack. A ship was sunk near Midway and that inventor Nicholson was on it."

 _Oh no! Is it my fault?_

"No! No, it's...well, it was just one of those times where something went wrong and we couldn't save everyone. It happens. We can't be everywhere at once."

 _They want us to, though._

"I know, I know."

 _They think I'm not good enough._

"That's not true! You've done so well and they're so grateful!"

 _I have their gratitude, but not their respect. They treat me like just another one of their machines; they're happy when I do well, but when I don't, they act like I'm deficient._

Honda sighed with exasperation. "I can't argue with that. They give me the same treatment sometimes."

 _So what are they going to do now?_

"Now? Ironically, they're making another machine."

 _Ah. I hope they succeed because maybe then I can sleep better. Actually, I want to sleep right now. Is that okay?_

"Rest up, buddy. You've earned it!"

Godzilla swam toward the bottom of the crater. Feeling the intense radiation from the rocks wash over him, he felt relaxed and rejuvenated after his tiring ordeal. Curling up tight and holding onto his tail, he was asleep in seconds, floating motionlessly in the water with his spines glowing softly.

* * *

Martin stood in the massive underground hangar underneath the Okinawa UNMCC base. Towering above him, sixty-five meters tall, was the single largest weapon ever built by human hands. Nine separate crews of technicians and engineers operated on the machine, cutting, welding, rewiring, and performing other important tasks to add the final touches.

He turned to Arkoff, the Russian inventor standing at his side. "You tell me, Mister Arkoff – is everything going according to schedule?"

"Yes, General. The external work is mostly completed and the weapon systems are basically operational. The only problem is with the energy supply. Without the core, we have to stick to a batter system. We can make it function, but we're talking six hours to charge to capacity and a lot less combat time before needing a recharge. General, I really think we should wait until we retrieve the final component-"

"No! We can afford to do without it for the time being, and anyway the area is too dangerous to send another ship right now." Martin looked back at the robot with an anxious stare. "And besides, you know how I feel about M11."

"But General, I was promised access to the power core once it was completed. My country is still hurting from half a decade of attacks by the Meganula. We need that power to begin repairing the damage and to restore our economy."

"And you shall have it, in time. I promise I will not delay your civilian research any longer than necessary."

"Thank you, sir. May I ask, why are you still so uncertain about M11?"

Martin sighed and shook his head. "I don't know. It makes sense, but I just can't help but feel that we'd be making a mistake by granting that kind of power to something we still don't fully understand. We're taking a huge enough gamble as it is."

One of the base's guards appeared and saluted. "General, you have a phone call from the President."

Martin left the hangar to take the call in his private office. "Mister President, General Martin speaking."

" _Good afternoon, General. I understand you're planning to introduce our big metal friend to the world tomorrow."_

"That's right, sir. I assume you'll be in attendance. Should I make any special arrangements for you?"

" _I'm afraid I can't come, actually. I have some other business to attend to. Don't bother trying to reschedule_. _I can come see it for myself another time._ "

"Are you sure?"

" _I'm sure. Remember that Interpol case I was telling you about last week, about those possible gun runners in China and Korea? Well, it just got more complicated. I'll be meeting with the head of the CIA tomorrow to decide a course of action. We're onto something big here, something I don't think we should call attention to just yet. Tell the assembly that I've already been briefed and that I was called away on other matters."_

"Will do, Mister President."

" _And General, keep a close eye on our friend, Arkoff."_

Martin looked over his shoulder, as though he expected the inventor to be standing in the room behind him. "What for, sir?"

" _Just keep an eye on him, and if he does anything suspicious, give me a call."_

"I will, sir. Have a good day, Mister President."

" _And yourself, General."_


	3. The Magnificent Machine

The Okinawa base had overlooks built adjacent to and near the top of the hangar, separated by a meter-thick wall of tempered glass. One of these overlooks was a conference hall, on this day packed with politicians, scientists, and reporters; while the politicians and scientists sat patiently at the long table, the reporters clambered over each other for a peek through the glass. None of them seemed to pay much attention to the table itself, in the center of which was situated some sort of dome covered by an opaque grey cloth.

The door swung open and Omori entered, followed immediately by Doctor Honda. One of the reporters turned, saw her, and called her name like a vulture pointing out carrion to its kettle. Seconds later, Honda was swarmed. She calmly took her place at the table and folded her hands together, ignoring the questions they bombarded her with. Once they had started to ease off a bit, she stated plainly and clearly, "I don't have any updates for you at the moment. As far as I'm concerned, nothing has changed, for me or for Project G. That is all."

The reporters shuffled away in aggravated silence, denied an easy quarry. Honda smiled inwardly but did not change her outward expression. She knew that it was better to be unassuming than to show any kind of emotional response and draw unneeded attention to herself. They could continue staring out the window at whatever they thought they could see.

Actually, what _were_ they looking at? Honda stayed still but squinted her eyes. There were no lights on in the hangar, nor did any sunlight reach through, but there was just enough reflection off the walls from the light in the conference room to make out the vague shape of something enormous. Even though she could not make anything out for sure, she felt a small sense of danger, like what she sometimes felt at the approach of a hostile monster.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of General Martin and Mister Arkoff. Those seated rose to show their respect and the reporters hurried back to their seats as Martin stepped up to a podium between the table and the hangar window.

"Thank you all for coming here today," he began. "President Conway regrets that he cannot join us at this time. Ladies and gentlemen, respected leaders and distinguished scientists. For the last five years, we have been locked in one of the greatest battles for survival in human history. In the last nine months, we have made considerable strides toward conquering our foes, thanks in no small part to the contributions of Doctor Kumi Honda, who is with us today."

Martin pointed to her, and the assembled party applauded, some in earnest, others out of reluctant politeness. Honda was not sure how to react, so she merely smiled awkwardly.

Once it was quiet enough, Martin continued. "However, we are now ready to take this to the next level! Mister Arkoff and the late Mister Nicholson have worked tirelessly to create a new weapon that will allow us to exterminate the monster menace once and for all. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present to you the future of mechanized warfare…"

The hangar lit up all at once, forcing the assembly to squint for a few moments until their eyes adjusted to the glare. Once she could see, Honda let out a gasp. She had not known what to expect, but she had certainly not expected what she saw before her.

It was a gigantic robot, covered from top to bottom with heavy armored plates and with two fierce, serpentine yellow eyes. The massive construct, which filled most of the hangar, seemed all the more immense against the backdrop of lights that created a subtle silhouette around its gleaming mechanical hull. What surprised her the most, however, was the design of the robot, which called to mind something immediately familiar.

Martin stretched out his arm as though gesturing toward a proud trophy. "The MG-01 _Kiryu_ -class all-purpose war machine, AKA, MechaGodzilla 1."

Honda remained silent as everyone else applauded. She looked into the dead yellow eyes of the robot and felt a cold shiver run down her spine. Martin, oblivious to her disapproval, smiled and motioned for the applause to cease. "Thank you! I will now turn this presentation over to Mister Arkoff."

Arkoff did not approach the podium once Martin relinquished it, but remained in his seat. "If I could ask you to keep your focus on MechaGodzilla," he began, "I will begin with a rundown of the basics. MechaGodzilla's armor is built from a new titanium alloy, TA-323. It is more durable than any other metal on Earth, as well as heat and electricity-resistant. It also features an innovative plasma propulsion system. And now, a demonstration of the machine's capabilities."

Arkoff rose from his seat and, facing the window, waved to the team of engineers standing by. They nodded their acknowledgement and took to their controls. A moment later, the hangar's overhead doors opened with a deep metallic groan. MechaGodzilla's yellow eyes lit up, and the entire building shook as the machine's propulsion system kicked in, levitating it off the floor and through the opening; two stationary plasma rockets were visible on the bottom of its feet, two rotating ones for multidirectional steering behind its shoulders. Arkoff went to the back of the room and turned on two large CRT sets built into the wall, one showing the now fully-surfaced MechaGodzilla, the other showing a cluster of ships just offshore.

Arkoff explained, "These decommissioned ships, MechaGodzilla's targets, are positioned about three kilometers away, but as you will soon see, that won't be a problem for its extremely accurate targeting system. The first of its primary weapons: maser cannons!"

The robot's mouth opened to show two masers inside. They fired simultaneously, partially melting a ship before it burst into flames.

"Optical lasers!"

Multicolored energy beams streaked from both of MechaGodzilla's eyes. A second battleship was consumed by a white hot fireball, taking with it three adjacent ships.

"Rocket launchers!"

MechaGodzilla pointed one of its hands at the ships. Each finger ended with an opening, from which a salvo of rockets poured. Most of the remaining ships were obliterated, creating a huge column of smoke.

"And its most powerful weapon: a chest-mounted plasma cannon!"

MechaGodzilla's chest plate opened, exposing a cannon barrel with an orb-like structure and rings of green light. The energy blast that followed was discharged with such force that it shook the observers underground. The burning ships were completely disintegrated, leaving almost nothing solid behind.

Arkoff reached for the dial on the monitor showing the now destroyed fleet. "And lest you think these weapons are only good against stationary targets…"

The monitor switched to a different camera, showing an assault helicopter hovering less than a kilometer from MechaGodzilla. The helicopter fired three rockets, one heading directly toward MechaGodzilla, the others toward either side of it. The robot's head spun around independently from its body and fired three bursts of its optical beams; each projectile disintegrated in thin air within barely a second of leaving their tubes, while the helicopter remained untouched.

Honda remained seated silently even as everyone else stood to cheer. True, this was an impressive piece of technology, but she could not shake the feeling that something was off about it.

Arkoff meanwhile basked in the praise of scientists and world leaders. As their applause died down, he remained standing with his hands behind his back and continued. "That is not the end of its arsenal. MechaGodzilla has numerous other onboard weapons, including some that will allow it to ensnare or immobilize an opponent. It is capable of supersonic flight, allowing it to respond to threats faster than any previous method."

Arkoff's eyes momentarily darted toward Honda, making certain that she heard his declaration of superiority.

"What we're most excited about, though, is that MechaGodzilla is capable of unmanned operation. MechaGodzilla possesses an artificial intelligence that allows it to fight independently, making critical decisions of its own accord in the heat of battle. The computer has faster reflexes than any pilot, never needs to trade shifts, and has no emotions to cloud its judgement."

Again Arkoff seemed to sneer briefly at Honda before carrying on. He pulled the cover off the object at the center of the table to reveal a computer of peculiar design, not like any other in existence. Its base was a circular structure half a meter tall by one and a half wide. The top of the platform, encased in a glass dome, consisted of a series of black panels with blinking yellow lights forming an eight-sided star pattern, an inner ring of larger rectangular white lights, and a luminous red sphere in the center which rotated in all directions, as though it lacked a fixed axis. The machine lacked any buttons, switches, or other apparent physical controls.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Arkoff triumphantly proclaimed, "I present M11! As you can see, it's a revolutionary new kind of computer. Rather than manual controls, M11 interfaces with its user via mental transmission. Let me give you a demonstration! M11, please explain to these individuals how your interface works."

Honda trembled as she suddenly heard a voice speaking inside her head. _Greetings, distinguished individuals. I am M11. I can understand your thoughts by analyzing your brain activity and transmit information back to you in the form of electrical signals approximating your own brainwaves. This negates the need for a manual interface and allows information to be entered or retrieved instantaneously, as well as letting me communicate directly with each of you in your own language._

Once again, everyone but Honda applauded. She remained still, transfixed by the whirling red orb. How was something like this possible with a machine?

Arkoff turned to one of the reporters. "Sir, why don't you ask M11 a question? No, wait! Don't say it out loud. Just contemplate the question in your mind."

The reporter furrowed his brow and began to think. After a moment, M11 spoke again. _You want to know, why a robot, and not a ship or aircraft? The answer is that such vessels have limited combat potential. MechaGodzilla's opponents are animals, and animals fight primarily through physical contact. A ship or plane cannot trade blows with one of them; a robot with arms and legs can do so while also having a generally wider range of movement._

Arkoff looked at the political representatives present. "Would one of you care to ask the next question?"

A European woman, a delegate from a Scandinavian country, raised her hand. M11 immediately started up again. _Why, you ask, was the machine modeled after Godzilla? In part, because Godzilla has become a symbol to the world of humanity's resistance against something that threatens their lives and livelihood daily. To the monsters themselves, he is a force to be feared. By borrowing the original's image, MechaGodzilla also borrows these psychological tools. Also, in practical terms, the upright form is ideal for combat and its tail can be used as a weapon or an additional prehensile appendage. MechaGodzilla's form is as perfect for fighting as it is symbolically._

Arkoff smiled and looked directly at Honda. "Doctor Honda, care to offer a comment or question?"

Honda's pulse quickened. Had Arkoff sensed her discomfort? Was this a challenge, an act of defiance or mockery? Deciding that it was best to go along with it and not cause a scene, she tried to formulate a question, but she did not know what to ask. Wondering if this interface worked much like the way she communicated with Godzilla, she tried to peer into the mind of the machine. To her surprise, she slipped smoothly right in. It was even more similar than she had expected; just as Godzilla had intellect and instinct, M11 had memory and protocols, and she could read them both.

 _Welcome to the inside, Doctor,_ said M11, speaking only to her. _I admit, I am surprised at how easily you found your way in. Be aware that you do not have clearance to all information stored here; any attempt to breach my security system will result in your expulsion._

Honda now knew exactly what she wanted to ask. _How were you made? And by whom? I may not be the world's leading authority on computers, but I'm pretty sure this technology is decades – if not centuries – ahead of anything I've seen before._

M11's answer carried a hint of concern. _You have a very inquisitive mind, Doctor, and a perceptive one at that. Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to divulge that information._

Honda was not inclined to give up that easily. Just as she could plumb the depths of Godzilla's mind, she wondered if she could do the same with M11 to see if she could dig anything up. Again the process felt almost natural; peering deeper into M11's digital brain, she could see the construction of MechaGodzilla, as well as the development of numerous aborted designs, ranging from other giant-sized robots to ships and aircraft of numerous shapes.

 _Doctor_ , said M11, _I'm afraid that I can't allow you to venture any farther into my memory banks. You do not have clearance to view those files._

Honda ignored the voice and kept going. Suddenly she saw what appeared to be the ocean floor, with broken mechanical parts lying all around. A submarine approached and was obliterated, though not before she could make out the name _Seahawk_ written on its side.

 _Doctor,_ the voice warned again, sounding impatient, _you are accessing restricted information. If you do not stop, I will be forced to shut you out._

Honda began to develop a headache as M11 pushed back against her, but she fought past it and proceeded. She had now left the ocean and was soaring through outer space. In the distance, she could see another planet, getting nearer and nearer…

The voice returned, sounding bitter and scornful this time. _I warned you!_ it snarled.

Honda was hit by the most horrific pain she had ever experienced, as though the blood rushing to her head had turned caustic. In a panic, she tried to back out, but M11 would not let her go. The pain, that horrendous searing pain! It drowned out everything else until she could not even remember where she was or what she was doing.

Then everything went black.

On Iwato Island, Godzilla woke suddenly, sensing that something had happened to his friend Honda.


	4. Failure to Engage

Omori bolted from his seat and ran to Honda's side as she shook spasmodically and collapsed unconscious to the floor. Shouts of surprise and alarm filled the hall.

"What happened to her?"

"Is this some kind of glitch?"

"Is she going to be alright?

Omori and a helpful guard lifted Honda off the floor, her arms draped over their shoulders. Arkoff bristled, fearing the possible consequences of such an incident.

 _Everyone remain calm,_ said M11. _I have already called for a medical unit to take Miss Honda to the infirmary._

In the midst of the confusion, an urgent voice crackled over Martin's portable radio. _"General Martin. This is Major McDonough. Come in General!"_

Martin spoke into the transmitter. "I read you. Go ahead."

" _Sir, it's the Burtannus. It's back!"_

"Back? Where?"

" _It surfaced again at the same location as last time and struck down a patrol plane."_

Martin spun around to face Arkoff. The inventor shook his head anxiously. "It needs three more hours to charge!"

Omori stopped at the door. "Godzilla can be there in two and a half!"

"But Doctor Honda!" exclaimed Martin.

"Leave it to me," said Omori.

* * *

Takashima nearly gagged on his hot soup as the alarm rang out at the Iwato base. "Not again!" he groaned, abandoning his seat at the mess hall and racing toward the hangar. It was only as he boarded the _Shirasagi_ that it occurred to him that Honda was still in Okinawa; he had never taken Godzilla on a mission without her. He paused midway up the ramp to ponder this only to receive a rude nudge in the back.

"Get a move on!" grunted Lieutenant Dunham. "That thing is on the loose near Midway."

Takashima followed him to the cockpit. "But what are we going to do without Doctor Honda?"

"Just got a call from your colonel. She fainted at the expo and can't deploy. It's up to us now."

Takashima gulped as he put on his helmet and strapped in.

The _Shirasagi_ hovered over the crater as the gate opened. Godzilla reared up from the water and stared vacantly at the airship, making neither sound nor gesture.

"Now what?" asked Dunham. "How do you signal him?"

"Honda does it usually. He doesn't speak human and we don't speak monster."

"So, no contingency? Seriously? No backup plan in case Missus Doctor gets sick and can't fly? We can't signal him at all?"

"Not unless you want to use the laser and hope he doesn't take it the wrong way."

After several seconds of silence, Godzilla cocked his head to one side with a quizzical expression on his face. He recognized the ship and knew what it was supposed to signify, but his best friend was not aboard.

Frustrated, Dunham folded his arms across his chest. "And here I thought I was working with the best! Should've known transistor radios were all you people could make!"

"Excuse me?"

Dunham shrugged nonchalantly. "Just saying, it seems like a pretty big thing to forget!"

Takashima squeezed the control column until his knuckles cracked. "We remembered ejector seats, though. Care for a demonstration?"

Godzilla kept his eyes on the hovering aircraft. It was odd, he thought, that he could not sense Honda, but it seemed that he was meant to follow along, anyway. Laying on his belly, he swam out of the crater.

Takashima released his death grip on the controls. "Finally! Let's get going!"

* * *

Honda lay sleeping on a cot as Omori watched the medical staff tending to her. After a brief examination, the head physician addressed the colonel. "I'm not sure what to make of it. She's not showing any signs of distress or illness. She's just unconscious. It might be best if we let her rest a while."

Omori did not take his eyes off Honda. "Would it hurt to transport her to another location?"

"I would wait until she's awake and we've done a more thorough checkup. We want to be sure that she isn't suffering from epilepsy."

Omori nodded understandingly. "Very well. Thank you, Doctor. If you'll excuse me, I have to make a call."

* * *

" _NAF Midway to_ Shirasagi."

" _Shirasagi_ , Lieutenant Dunham speaking. Go ahead."

" _Our patrols report that Burtannus has made landfall on Kirk Island."_

"Roger that. We'll be there shortly."

Kirk Island was an unsettled island five miles north of Midway Atoll, known for its sparse foliage, craggy surface, and towering cliffs. One of the cliffs opened in the front to reveal an immense underground cave. Burtannus emerged from the sea and was heading toward her home in that cave when she heard the sound of an airship approaching. The electrifying saurian snarled and turned to face the intruder but was surprised to see not only an unusual plane, but another creature in tow!

Godzilla waded through the surf, never breaking eye contact with Burtannus. Once he had both feet on dry land, he came to a stop. The two monsters continued to stare at one another, not moving, maintaining their defensive posture.

Dunham and Takashima watched the standoff from the _Shirasagi_.

"I have to admit," said Dunham, "I've always wondered what it would be like to see the Big G in action. I hear it's quite a sight!"

"Sure is. Hope you aren't squeamish!"

"What's he doing? Looks like he's just standing there."

"Probably sizing up his opponent. Godzilla's enemies are usually smaller than him, but this one's about the same size. He won't be able to overpower it easily; things could get messy if this turns into a grappling match!"

Unbeknownst to the crew of the _Shirasagi_ , Godzilla was actually probing Burtannus' mind with his telepathy. He sensed that this was a more intelligent animal than most other combatants, and one that was not really looking for a fight. In fact, though Burtannus was acting defensively, it was not in defense of herself…

Godzilla relaxed his posture, gave an understanding nod, and turned back toward the sea.

Dunham was flabbergasted. "What the hell is this? He's not going to kill it?"

Takashima watched agog Godzilla retreat. He had never seen Godzilla walk away from a fight before!

"Well?" Dunham growled through his teeth. "Now what?"

"I…I don't know! We can't communicate with him! There's no way we can order Godzilla back to the island, and we can't fight the monster ourselves!"

Dunham turned on the radio and began searching for the right frequency.

"What are you doing?" asked Takashima.

"I'm calling Okinawa. I think it's time to send in the big gun!"

* * *

Honda's unconscious mind was bombarded by images she could not make any sense of: the floor of what looked like a laboratory, something exploding underwater, people in strange grey and black uniforms marching through glass hallways, and the sensation of flying through space. The scenes blurred together, new images appeared, until she was overwhelmed, begging for it to stop. Then, through all the chaos, she heard a familiar voice.

"Kumi…Kumi…"

It was a whisper at first, but increased in volume and force until was almost a shout.

"Kumi! Kumi, wake up!"

Honda shot up in bed, wide awake, with a stifled cry. Everything was fuzzy at first, like looking through a rain-soaked window. It took her a moment to realize that she was in the infirmary of the Okinawa UNMCC base. She looked to her right and saw, seated by her side with a look of deep concern on his tired face, one of her best friends.

"Adam…" she whimpered, both hands stretched out toward him.

Adam Yuma took both of her hands in his own. "Are you alright, Kumi?"

"I don't know. I just…the last thing I remember, I passed out in the conference room." Honda looked closely at her friend. "What about you? Are you alright?"

Yuma smiled bitterly. It had only been a few months since she had last seen him, but he looked as though he had aged five years. He had put on a bit of weight, his hair was shaggy and he had grown a rather unbecoming beard, but what really struck her was the tired look in his eyes.

"I guess you could say I've seen better times. I'll live. I'm sorry it took a scare for me to come see you again."

Honda chuckled mirthlessly and leaned back into her bed. "Well, either way, I _am_ glad that you're here. These last few days have been one disaster after another."

"Yeah. It feels the same way at the hospital. I'm starting to feel worn out and…whoa, Kumi! I think you're starting to shake again!"

"Huh? It's not me!"

The entire building was shaking, gently at first, but then the vibrations became so intense that Honda's untouched tray of food rattled its way right off the nightstand by her bed.

"Earthquake!" Yuma shouted, jumping to his feet.

"No, wait!" Honda stood up and staggered toward the window.

"Kumi, you shouldn't be walking!"

"It's not an earthquake!" She threw open the blinds just in time for them both to see MechaGodzilla soaring by.

"My god!" Yuma said in a soft, alarmed voice. "Is that…?"

"Project M," said Honda. "They finally finished it."

Just then, Martin entered the room. "Doctor Honda," said the general, "are you feeling better?"

"I guess. What happened to me?"

Martin shrugged. "You passed out. That's all we know. This is the first time anything like that has happened while interfacing, so we double checked to be sure there wasn't a glitch. Do you remember what you saw in there?"

"I just…it was a lot of information to take in and then…" Honda's voice trailed off.

Martin frowned and looked at her questioningly. "Yes? Something wrong?"

Honda shook her head in confusion. "I don't remember!"

"Well, hopefully the worst is over. Now, there's something else I want to discuss with you. As you just saw, we've sent MechaGodzilla out on a mission. Burtannus appeared again and we sent Godzilla to fight it, but he failed to engage."

"Failed to engage?" said Honda. "What happened?"

"We're not sure. According to the _Shirasagi_ crew, he took one look at the monster and left."

"Where was this?"

"Kirk Island near Midway. It was apparently trying to hide in a large cave there."

"Hmm…well the only other time he didn't go after his target was Rodan, and Rodan was just confused and afraid, after all. If that cave was Burtannus' home and it was just hiding out, Godzilla might have sensed that it was non-aggressive and decided to let it be."

Martin sighed deeply with exasperation. "Honda, I'm getting awfully tired of putting up with excuses and disobedience, from you and your overgrown pet! You both have to follow orders, understand?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to observe MechaGodzilla's mission from the control room. Doctor Yuma, care to join me?"

Yuma shook his head nervously. "No, no. I'd rather stay."

Martin frowned disdainfully. "Fine. I guess I didn't want to believe that you'd really lost your guts, but maybe it's true." The general stomped out and slammed the door.

Honda looked questioningly at her old friend. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Later." Yuma led her by the hand back to the bed. "You need to rest."

"I don't need rest! I have to know what's hap-"

"Now, now! I've been permitted to act as your physician for the day, so until I clear you to go, you're staying here and following my instructions to the letter. Lay down and relax. We can catch up on personal business later."


	5. An Innocent Victim

Burtannus rested at the entrance to her cave, her eyes following the _Shirasagi_ as it circled the island again and again. She knew that human machines were never a good sign, but the aircraft was keeping its distance, so she watched and waited to see what it would do.

After a while, she heard in the distance the sound of another, larger machine approaching. Peering out, she looked out and saw MechaGodzilla flying toward the island. She was baffled by the sight of such an odd being. It had the shape of an animal but the skin of a machine and left a trail green fire as it soared across the sky.

MechaGodzilla finally reached the island and rotated to a vertical standing position before landing on its feet with an impact that shook the island. The robot opened its mouth and emitted a distorted mechanical scream, a reproduction of Godzilla's famous vocalizations that sounded more like the wail of a metal banshee. Burtannus jumped to her feet and made ready to defend herself, answering the war machine's challenge with a cry of her own, but one of fear and desperation. She only hoped that her new ally would hear her and answer the call…

Godzilla was not quite halfway home when he sensed Burtannus' distress. With barely a moment's hesitation, he turned around and swam as fast as he possibly could back toward Kirk Island. He did not know what had become of his friend, but he mentally sent out a message, hoping it would reach her in time to prevent disaster.

* * *

Honda felt the familiar tingling sensation of a telepathic signal. It was vague at first, something about an innocent victim. Slowly it became clearer. When Honda realized what the message really meant, she gasped in horror.

Yuma looked up from reading a newspaper. "Something wrong?"

Without a word, Honda sprang from her bed and bolted out the door.

"Kumi!" Yuma raced after her. "Kumi, where are you going? Get back here!"

* * *

MechaGodzilla took the first shot, firing its masers directly at Burtannus' horn. She dodged just in the nick of time and lunged from her cave. Slamming her horn to the ground, she discharged a powerful electrical current that travelled all the way to MechaGodzilla's feet but passed right through it.

Watching from the control room, Martin asked, "Any electrical damage?"

 _Negative_ , said M11. _On the contrary, MechaGodzilla's battery power has been fully replenished._

MechaGodzilla fired a volley of missiles from its fingers, blasting soil and stone high into the air. Again Burtannus' quick reflexes served her well, but then the robot used its optical beams to slice open a long gash from her thigh to her abdomen. She could not keep dodging out of the way for long. To survive, she would have to get up close and strike an incapacitating blow. Charging headlong, she rammed her armored head against the robot's chest, but only succeeded in knocking it slightly off balance. MechaGodzilla raised both arms over its head and brought them down hard on the monster's shoulders. She collapsed, fireworks dancing in her eyes. The wound in her abdomen opened wider, spilling forth blood. Before she could right herself, MechaGodzilla pressed a foot down on her head, intent on crushing her skull. Seeing that her foe was no longer properly grounded, she sent out another current. This time, sparks flew and MechaGodzilla stumbled, giving her just enough time to pull away.

MechaGodzilla's video signal became distorted. Arkoff clenched both his fists, waiting with bated breath to see if his creation was up to the task.

M11 reported, _Connection still intact. Activating guidance rockets._

The rockets on MechaGodzilla's back activated just in time to keep the robot from falling on its side and lifted it upright again. Burtannus looked at her opponent, at her cave, and then back, unsure of whether she should use the last of her strength to protect her home or draw MechaGodzilla away. Finally, she came to a decision. Her face low to the ground, she shuffled backwards toward the cave.

"The monster's retreating!" said Takashima.

Dunham sneered. "It won't get away!"

 _Missile guidance system inactive,_ said M11 _. Masers unresponsive. Possible thermal damage to optical beam emitters._

Arkoff was beginning to sweat. "The plasma cannon?"

 _Operational._

"What about the feed?" Martin asked urgently. "Can you get it back up?"

 _Troubleshooting. Done._

Burtannus was at the edge of its cave, a trail of blood leading from her wounds. Omori was disturbed by the sight, but said nothing. Martin watched intently, hands clasped. Arkoff grinned, certain that victory was near.

MechaGodzilla approached the cave, arms outstretched. Burtannus tried to use its electrical attack again, but the giant metal foot slammed down on her head, smashing the horn. Bleeding out and unable to use her primary weapon, Burtannus knew in that moment that she was defeated, and moaned in despair.

Godzilla and Honda both felt her agony and fear.

"It's time," said Arkoff. "Use the plasma cannon. Finish this."

MechaGodzilla lifted Burtannus by the arms until they were chest to chest. The barrel of the plasma cannon emerged, pointing directly at her heart, whirring as it charged.

Honda burst into the control room with an alarming cry. "STOOOOP!"

But it was too late. The plasma cannon unleashed its wrath, tearing a hole through Burtannus' chest. MechaGodzilla dropped her charred, tattered corpse to the ground with another fearful metallic wail.

Honda watched in dismay. Her eyes glazed over and she fainted. Yuma ran into the room just in time to catch her and lead her out.

Martin rose from his seat and walked to the front of the room. "Gentlemen, ladies, I must apologize for the interruption. Nevertheless, I hope that we have succeeded in demonstrating to you the potential of this incredible new invention. I believe that with MechaGodzilla as our primary weapon, we can wipe out the monster threat entirely within the next year!"

After a round of applause, the assembly left their seats and filed out the door, most of them chattering in hushed tones with their peers and aides. Martin watched them go with a proud smile, but underneath he was infuriated by Honda treading on his moment. What was she on about this time?

Once everyone had left, the general stepped outside and saw Honda leaning against the wall opposite from the door, sobbing uncontrollably while Yuma tried in vain to comfort her.

"Well?" Martin grunted. "Care to explain yourself?"

Honda looked up with a fierce glare, then stormed right by Martin into the control room. Pointing a finger at MechaGodzilla's monitor, she hissed through clenched teeth, "There! You've taken innocent life and you call it a success?"

Martin and Yuma saw only the mangled corpse of Burtannus. "I know how you feel about this," said Martin, "but the creature was a threat to-"

"No, no! In the back of the cave!"

Martin could just barely see an odd shape laying behind Burtannus' body. "M11," he said, "pan up and left."

MechaGodzilla raised its head to get a better view. Seeing the cause of Honda's distress, Yuma gasped and Omori covered his mouth.

Burtannus had been protecting a nest filled with eggs. When MechaGodzilla fired its plasma cannon through their mother's chest, the eggs were in the path of the blast, and they were reduced to pitiful heaps of shell, yolk, and charred, twisted embryos.

Martin looked away and sank into a chair, looking down at the table in front of him while he pondered what to say and do. After a moment's consideration, he spoke. "M11, does MechaGodzilla have enough power to return to base?"

 _Yes, General._

"Good. Bring it back."

 _Affirmative. Commencing liftoff procedure._

"Doctor Honda," said Martin, his voice quivering slightly, "I'm sorry for my disrespect earlier. If you don't mind, I think it's best that you stay here under observation for another day or two before returning to Iwato."

Honda nodded silently and turned away. She opened the door and was surprised to find Arkoff standing on the other side. He had been reaching for the doorknob but froze when he saw her, as though he had been caught at something. Clearing his throat and straightening his stance, he pushed by her into the room.

The general was just as surprised. "Arkoff! I didn't see you leave."

"Yes, well, er…I had to make a phone call. Moscow. Very important. Didn't want to distract so, uh…just slipped out quietly."

Martin looked the inventor up and down suspiciously. "So I see. Alright, then. Once MechaGodzilla returns, I want you to have your team inspect it carefully for any damage or faults, just in case."

"Of course, General."

" _Takashima speaking. Godzilla and another unidentified creature are approaching Kirk Island."_

Honda walked back to the monitor showing the _Shirasagi_ 's feed and watched. Godzilla was wading onto the shore, while a second, flying monster was visible in the distance, approaching rapidly. She recognized its silhouette almost immediately. "Rodan! He's back!"

" _General Martin, what are your orders?"_

"Stand down, men," the general replied. "Let's see what they're doing here first."

Rodan reached the island first and perched atop the cliff face into which Burtannus' cave was formed. Godzilla was close behind. He entered the cave and carefully examined the nest. He managed to find a single egg still intact. Holding it carefully in his hands, he carried it outside and raised it up. Rodan swooped down and grasped the egg gently in his talons. Without a moment's pause, he departed, flying north, while Godzilla returned to the sea and disappeared beneath the waves.

"Well, Doctor?" Omori asked Honda. "What do you make of that?"

Honda shrugged. "I don't know. Godzilla told me when he spared Rodan that he was taking him somewhere safe. Maybe Rodan is taking the egg to the same place."

Martin scratched his chin. "Yes? And where might that place be?"

"He won't tell me."

Arkoff scowled. "Oh, really? Your monster friend, keeping secrets! How do we know-"

Martin cut him off. "Don't. Just don't. As long as they're out our way, it's enough."

Arkoff stormed out grumbling to himself. Honda continued to watch the screen until Rodan was far out of sight.


	6. Schism

Her head still aching, Honda struggled to fall asleep, her mind overwhelmed by everything that had transpired. Yuma sat by her side the whole night. They were silent for about an hour. Finally, Yuma spoke first.

"You probably want to know why I quit."

"Yeah, I wondered about that," murmured Honda. In truth, she had a pretty good idea of why, but she knew that he probably needed to say it for himself.

"I couldn't go along with the way things were going. I realized that Martin was not the man I thought him to be; he's allowed himself to be compromised by fear, and he's taken some terrible risks. I compromised my own integrity by working for him on Gargantua, and I haven't been able to get that off my conscience. I wish I could say everything got better after I left Project G, but it hasn't. I can't stop thinking about Gargantua. I hate myself for getting involved in the first place, but I also can't help wondering if I made the right decision when I destroyed my research materials. Even though I know it would probably have never worked, I can't help but wonder. I've lost several patients recently, including some of the young ones."

Honda sat up and looked Yuma directly in the eyes. "Keiko?" she asked fearfully.

"Not yet, but she's gotten so much worse. I've seen how it happens before, and I can tell that she's near the end; she knows it, too. I hate to say it, but…I give her a month, at best. I almost can't stand to begin her palliative care, but I know it's the only thing of real benefit I can do for her at this point."

"Oh, Adam!" Honda leaned on her friend, hugging him tightly. "I'm so sorry!"

A tear ran down Yuma's face as they held each other. "And here I thought it was _my_ job to comfort _you_ today!"

Honda let out a short laugh. "Ha! Well, I guess we both benefit something from our little reunion." She leaned back but kept a hold on Yuma's arm.

"Right! I'm glad to see you again. Sometimes I feel like I don't have anyone else to talk to. I don't really see the other doctors outside the hospital, Martin and I don't talk anymore, and I gave up trying to keep in touch with my family back home years ago."

"Really? What for?"

"I'm from a military family. They're very nationalistic. I don't doubt that they voted for that jerk Conway. They disapproved of my work in Japan. When they think of this country, they just remember the war. They didn't see the suffering of innocent people like I saw. It's weird, though: their disapproval actually kind of encouraged me. I wanted to prove that I wasn't just another killer. I thought I could do some good. And yet…well…"

"But you _have_ done good, Adam! Think about what you've done for those young people in the hospital. You may not have saved them all, but you gave them a fighting chance and pushed the boundaries, and maybe someday your work will save many more lives!"

Adam sniffed and wiped away a tear. "Thank you, Kumi. I'm glad that at least you still have faith in me. And hey, you've done good yourself. You've already saved more lives than I ever have, and for what it's worth, I think you and Godzilla were in the right today."

Honda smiled. "I really needed to hear that, Adam. Thank you."

The two old friends held hands and drifted off to sleep, reconnected at last.

* * *

Arkoff was startled awake by a loud knock on the door of his personal chambers. Just as he turned on his beside lamp, the door burst open and Martin stormed in, carrying a manila folder under his arm.

"General? What's going on? Hey, wait!"

Martin grabbed the inventor by the scruff of his neck and dragged him to a desk in one corner of the room. He dropped the folder onto the desk, where it flopped open to reveal its contents, and thrust Arkoff's face into them. "Care to explain this?" he demanded furiously.

The documents inside showed designs for various weapons and armored combat vehicles, each bearing a striking resemblance to technology from Project M. The one that stood out the most was another giant fighting machine, a mole-like robot with drills for hands labeled "Moguera."

Arkoff breathed hard and heavy, breaking into a thick sweat. "Where did you get these?" he muttered in disbelief.

"Radiofax from the CIA. These were recovered from an arms dealer in China. Looks to me like you've been selling our work on the black market!"

Arkoff tried to break free, but Martin laid him out with a backhand strike. Sprawled on the floor with a broken nose, the Russian pleaded, "Please! I don't know what you're talking about!"

"I was told you might be involved, so I tapped your phone. You didn't call the Kremlin to say that Project M worked. You were contacting a potential buyer to confirm the success of your designs!"

Arkoff wiped his nose and tried to breathe evenly. "What are you going to do?"

"Oh, I'm not going to do anything! The matter is out of my hands now. The CIA has agreed to turn you over to the KGB. I'm sure you'll be in good hands with them." Martin's intense frown turned to a smirk for a fraction of a second. "Until then, you can make yourself at home in the brig."

* * *

Honda continued to see strange things in her dreams. The people in grey and black uniforms were back, marching through glass hallways again, but seemed to abruptly scatter in terror before something obliterated them. She saw the planet Earth from a distance, gradually zooming in closer. She saw the ocean depths and what looked like a wrecked submarine sinking to the bottom. Finally, she saw a man in a lab coat with his back to her, admiring something unseen on the table in front of him, proclaiming, "We've found the answer!"

She awoke sometime after sunup, trembling and sweating. The images remained in her head, albeit growing fainter by the second; she tried to make sense of them, but to no avail. Looking around, she saw that Yuma was already up, preparing tea for them. He saw her awake and carried the two cups toward her, smiling warmly. "Sleep well?"

"I slept a lot, if that's what you mean." She hoisted herself upright and took one of the cups. "Thanks."

Yuma sat in his chair and sipped. "Something on your mind?"

"Well, you see, I've been having this weird dream. It happened yesterday while I was unconscious, then again last night, but a little clearer. I don't really understand it. There were just all these disparate images one after another, like soundbites from a newsreel or something."

"And you said it started yesterday? After your little incident with M11?"

"Right. I think it might be related. It's starting to come back to me bit by bit. I don't think what happened to me was an accident. I think I saw something M11 didn't want me to see and he… _it_ tried to erase my memory."

Yuma looked over his shoulder at the door, then leaned in close and whispered. "You're sure?"

"I don't know, but I've got a feeling. Adam, I don't know if we can trust it."

"There's no need to be paranoid! Governments and militaries always have secrets that they can't share with just anyone. It could be anything."

"Like Gargantua?"

Adam broke eye contact and stared guiltily down at the floor. "Kumi, please…"

"I don't blame you for that! You repented and moved on. Martin I'm not so sure about. Even with the success we've had, he seems to be getting more and more worried, like he expects us to slip up or for things to get worse soon. Uh oh! Someone's coming."

In walked Martin, Omori, and a thin, hawk-faced man with dark green eyes and gunmetal grey hair and a moustache. Honda and Yuma recognized the man and stood to attention.

"Doctors Yuma and Honda," said Martin, "meet President Hal Conway."

With a wide, toothy grin that Honda thought made him look like a hungry animal, the President reached out to shake her hand and then Yuma's. "Pleasure to finally meet you both!" he said in a deep yet smooth, almost sickly sweet voice.

Honda bowed her head. "Thank you, Mister President."

Yuma gave him a firm handshake. "Yes, thank you. What brings you to Okinawa?"

"Well, I wasn't able to be here yesterday, so now I'm here to see MechaGodzilla for myself, and to settle some business involving Comrade Arkoff."

The doctors exchanged a surprised glance. "Arkoff?" asked Honda.

Omori folded his arms with a sigh. "Yes, it turns out our supposed friend intended to sell hardware from Project M to an arms dealer."

"Good lord!" said Yuma. "Why would he do that, after all these years of helping us?"

Martin shook his head in frustration. "I don't know. Working for the UN gave him unique opportunities and prestige, not to mention more money than he could possibly make elsewhere. I guess it still wasn't good enough, though."

Conway snorted derisively. "I always suspected he was up to no good. Never did trust his type."

Honda did not acknowledge the President's remark, though she knew its intended meaning all too well. It was subtler than Lieutenant Dunham's insensitive quips, yet his xenophobia was just as clear.

Doctor Yuma cleared his throat uncomfortably. "So, uh…where is Arkoff now?"

Martin explained, "We have a holding cell here on the base. A representative from the KGB will be here later today to take him into custody."

"But enough about our dear comrade," said Conway. "I came here because I want to see this giant robot everyone's talking about!"

"Very well, sir," said Martin. "But first, I'd like a word with Doctor Honda in private."

"Of course. I'll be outside."

Yuma gave Honda a reassuring tap on the shoulder before following Conway and Omori out.

Martin sat in Yuma's chair and spoke in a low voice. "Doctor, I don't want to alarm you, but it's been more than twelve hours since we last saw Godzilla."

Honda took a seat on the edge of her bed, hands clasped anxiously in her lap. "Is there a search in progress?"

"Yes, but so far there's no sign of him. The _Shirasagi_ is searching for him near where he was last seen. If there's still nothing in a few days, we're going to try using Doctor Yuma's radiation detection system, but that'll take time to set up. Until then, do you think it would be possible for you to contact him psychically and find out where he is?"

"I'll give it a try, but my range is limited. He can communicate with me from much farther than I can send signals to him."

"But you'll give it a try?"

"Yeah, I'll do it." Honda closed her eyes and relaxed, broadcasting her mental signal as far as she could make it go. However, after a few moments, her head began to throb and ache. She saw the strange images again – the uniforms, the submarine, the man in the lab coat – and her concentration broke. Her eyes snapped open as she gasped for breath.

"Doctor? Are you alright?"

"I'm okay," Honda replied, though she was really unsure. "I guess I'm still a little worn out from yesterday."

Martin sighed. "Well, I'm sorry to hear that. It was worth a shot, though. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like you to join us in the control room."

"Sure." She stood up and felt the rustling of her infirmary gown. "Just give me a minute to put on some actual clothes first this time."

* * *

Honda joined the others in the control room a short time later. President Conway chuckled and applauded the footage of MechaGodzilla demonstrating its weapon capabilities the day before.

"What a spectacular piece of technology! I tell you, there's nothin' that can't be accomplished with a bit of good old American engineering!"

Yuma noticed Honda grimacing at the President's exaggerated folksy mannerisms and gave her a slight nudge. "Why, I'll be," he mumbled in a sarcastic drawl. "I reckon he's downright bona fide!"

Honda rolled her eyes. "At least I'm not the only one seeing this," she replied.

"Alright," Conway continued, rubbing his hands together ecstatically, "now where's that new computer you mentioned.

 _I am here. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mister President._

Conway gave a start as he realized the source of the voice. "My goodness! Sorry, I didn't see you there. You must be M11."

 _That I am._

Conway looked the computer over carefully, trying in vain to comprehend its design. "An equally fascinating accomplishment! General Martin, I'd like to congratulate you on all that you and your team have done. I only wish Mister Nicholson could be here to see it!"

Martin nodded glumly. "Thank you, sir. Now, I was wondering-"

The general's radio crackled again. _"Major McDonough to General Martin. Come in, Martin."_

The general replied, "Martin here. Another monster sighting?"

" _Yes, sir. Unidentified monster near the Northern Hawaiian Islands."_

"Understood. Over and out." Martin turned to the President. "You might just get a proper demonstration today."

"Hoo boy! This ought to be exciting!"

* * *

The _Shirasagi_ , once again piloted by Takashima and Dunham, passed over Lisianski Island minutes later and spotted the monster swimming below almost immediately.

"There it is," said Takashima. "Broadcast to Okinawa HQ."

"Roger."

As the live image was displayed on one of the screens in the control room, Conway whistled in astonishment. "Would ya look at that! What is it, some kind of sea porcupine?"

Martin chuckled. "No, not quite. Honda, does this look familiar to you?"

Honda took a closer look and sighed with relief. "Yes, that's Anguirus. He's an ankylosaurid, an herbivorous and placid dinosaur."

Conway rubbed his chin thoughtfully, though it seemed obvious from the expression on his face that he did not quite understand. "I see. So, what degree of threat would you say he poses?"

Honda looked at Conway with surprise, then shrugged. "Well, none, really. Anguirus eats plants and generally keeps to himself. He just swims to an island, grazes, sleeps, then moves on to somewhere else. We've learned to just give him a wide berth."

Martin smiled. "See, Mister President? Nothing to worry about. I'll give the all clear and cancel the launch sequence."

Conway raised a finger. "Actually, how about you don't?"

"Excuse me?"

The President put both hands behind his back and paced around the room. "General, I understand that you have your own way of doing things around here, but in this case, I have to insist. Anguirus is now in American waters, and I know I don't have to remind you about what happened the last time a monster came into our territory. We don't want a panic on our hands, so I think it's best that we take preventative action now and save ourselves the headache later."

Martin looked to Honda, who shook her head at him with an expression of pleading, before answering, "I don't think that's really necessary. I trust Honda's evaluation. Besides, every time we send MechaGodzilla out, we use up millions of dollars' worth of electrical power. We can't afford to waste resources chasing a creature that doesn't pose a serious threat."

Again Conway wagged a disapproving finger. "This is not a request, General. This is an order."

"But-"

Conway stopped in his place with a scowl. "Need I remind you," he scorned, "that you are speaking to your commander in chief? If you don't obey me, I'll have you replaced with someone who will. Now, give the order to attack!"

Martin hesitated, weighing up his options. Realizing the trouble that could arise if Conway promoted someone more malleable to his will, he nodded in agreement. "Yes, sir." He faced Honda again, and while he did not speak or make eye contact, his facial expression communicated a silent apology.

Angry but helpless to act, Honda took a seat and rested her head against her arms. _Come on, Godzilla_ , she thought, _where are you?_

* * *

Anguirus came ashore on the small island of Laysan, which had been overrun by lush green vegetation in recent years – enough green that the massive dinosaur could eat his fill and leave plenty untouched. After grazing for a few hours, he rested in the shallow lake at the center of the island, but just before falling asleep, he was disturbed by a sudden noise. Right as he opened his eyes, an intense wave of heat washed over him, causing him to jump to his feet with a yelp of pain.

MechaGodzilla touched down in the shallows and fired a second laser attack. Anguirus dodged the blast and curled into a ball, rolling himself at his assailant and crashing into it. The robot staggered but righted itself and fired a volley of missiles. Anguirus was struck repeatedly, causing him to fall out of his ball shape and spill onto his back. MechaGodzilla approached, charging up its plasma cannon for a devastating final attack. Anguirus scrambled back to his feet and lashed out with his tail. The robot stumbled backward and accidentally discharged its energy attack into the air.

The _Shirasagi_ , flying above, was near the path of the blast. As Dunham cried out in alarm, Takashima yanked the controls, pulling them out of the way in the nick of time. Dunham held his chest and breathed heavily. "Good god, that was close! Let's put some distance between us and the fight."

"Good idea. Hear that, HQ? We're pulling back. Over."

" _This is HQ. Do what you have to do. Over."_

As the aircraftpulled away, Dunham gasped as his gaze was drawn toward the sea. "Look! Something's coming!"

Takashima could just vaguely make out a dark shape in the distance. "Uh oh! Is that…?" He looked into the video screen on his control console that showed the image captured by the _Shirasagi_ 's camera. Adjusting the magnification, he confirmed what he was seeing. "It's Godzilla! Godzilla's approaching from the north!"

Honda jumped to her feet. "Godzilla!"

Conway was dumbfounded. "What's he doing there?"

Yuma looked from Honda to the screen and back. "Did you…?"

"What?" demanded Conway. "Did she what?"

Martin stared aghast. "Doctor Honda, did you direct him there?"

She felt her entire body tremble. "No! I mean, I don't know! I tried to reach out to him and I guess he heard me and went to the island."

"You guess?" Conway growled. "Missy, if that stupid monster of yours gets in the way, I'll have him blown to kingdom come!"

 _Do not worry_ , M11 interjected. _I will finish the Anguirus off quickly._

MechaGodzilla raised its right hand and fired grappling hooks from its fingertips on long wires. The hooks impaled Anguirus' left hind leg and sunk all the way to the bone. The dinosaur let out a deafening cry of pain as an electrical current surged through the wires and into his flesh and muscles, causing his legs to convulse violently and rendering him unable to flee.

The robot's free hand shifted and rotated until its fingers formed a conical drill. It then began to retract the wires, still hooked into Anguirus flesh, drawing the poor creature closer. The drill whirred and spun, and once its quarry was within arm's reach, MechaGodzilla raised the drill and brought it down in a stabbing motion toward the dinosaur's throat.

However, just as the drill was ready to pierce the flesh, MechaGodzilla was struck from the side by the full force of Godzilla's atomic breath. Stunned, the robot toppled to the ground. With the flow of electricity stopped and the wires hanging slack, Anguirus freed himself and, after pausing to glance at Godzilla and cock his head in a show of thanks, fled into the sea.

As MechaGodzilla's video feed was reduced to static, Conway pounded his fists on the wall, shouting incoherently. After nearly a minute, he spun around to point an accusatory finger at Honda. "YOU!" he bellowed. "YOU DID THIS! TRAITOR! TRAAAAITOOOOOOOR!"

Honda's heart raced with fear. She backed away slowly, anxiously looking for some sign of support.

While Martin looked down at the floor, his emotional state and intent unclear, Yuma took Honda's arm and placed himself between her and the raving politician. "Now just a minute! Kumi didn't mean any harm!"

"DIDN'T MEAN ANY HARM?! HER LITTLE PET JUST ATTACKED OUR ROBOT!"

 _I am sorry to interrupt_ , said M11, _but MechaGodzilla's connection has been restored and it is fully functional again. Shall I send it to pursue the Anguirus or bring it back to base?_

"Neither!" snarled Conway. "You have a new target!" He pointed to the image of Godzilla on the screen.

Horrified, Honda screamed, "NO! NO, YOU CAN'T! DON'T!"

"Yes!" the President hissed. "Kill him! KILL!"

MechaGodzilla got back on its feet and fired its optical beams at the back of Godzilla's head. The monster stopped moving and glared at the machine. With a deep, throaty growl, swam back toward the island, charging up another radioactive blast.

Honda trembled frightfully. _No!_ she begged. _Don't do it! Don't fight! Run away!_

MechaGodzilla continued to fire upon its target with little effect, making Godzilla feel confident in his impending victory, but M11 was only setting him up. Once Godzilla opened his mouth to unleash his attack, the robot launched two black missiles from its nostrils. They exploded in Godzilla's face but did not burst into flame or shrapnel, but a cascade of silvery powder. Godzilla gagged and wheezed as the substance filled his nostrils and throat. The glow of his atomic fire flickered and was extinguished.

"Oh, no!" exclaimed Yuma. "Is that…cadmium?"

Martin said nothing, still avoiding eye contact.

 _Yes,_ answered M11. _The powderized cadmium will, in theory, prevent Godzilla's body from processing the nuclear energy he uses, thereby preventing him from using his radioactive breath and slowing his healing factor._

Honda's fear transitioned almost instantly into a white hot rage. Throwing herself at Martin, she grabbed the lapels of his uniform and screamed into his face, "YOU MEANT FOR THIS TO HAPPEN! YOU BUILT THIS TO KILL GODZILLA! HOW COULD YOU?"

Even though Martin towered over her and could easily have thrown her aside, he made no such move. Omori grabbed her from behind and pulled her away. "Stop!" he murmured. "Don't make this worse!"

"Restrain her!" barked Conway. "Now, MechaGodzilla: beat Godzilla to death!"

Godzilla tried again to fire his breath attack, but only a short, weak blast emerged, dissipating in the air as soon as it left his mouth. As the cadmium dust traveled throughout his body, he felt nauseous and fatigued. He toppled forward, catching himself just before hitting the ground. As he struggled to get upright again, MechaGodzilla sunk its hooks into his shoulders. He cried out in pain; with his regenerative powers weakened, the metal barbs were able to rip into his flesh with ease. The robot dragged him upright and struck the crown of his head with the end of its snout. Godzilla's vision exploded and blood flowed freely from his scalp. MechaGodzilla raised him over its head and threw him nearly a kilometer across the island. Godzilla landed hard on his side, the impact throwing up an enormous cloud of dust. MechaGodzilla raised its hands to fire missiles, but the dust cloud made it difficult to see or lock onto the target. As the dust began to settle and the unconscious Godzilla came into view, the robot took aim.

Suddenly, a heavy object slammed into MechaGodzilla from behind, knocking it into the ground. The war machine used its propulsion system to raise itself, but was struck again and pinned down. MechaGodzilla turned its head all the way around and saw Anguirus on its back, swatting at its face with his powerful forelimbs. A direct hit managed to cause some disruption to its sensors, but it was only temporary. MechaGodzilla managed to roll onto its side and knock Anguirus away, but when it tried to attack using its energy weapons, it missed repeatedly. The blow to its head had caused a malfunction in the targeting system, so it could only fire wildly and inaccurately. Anguirus dodged each attack with ease, periodically ramming his armored head into MechaGodzilla's legs or striking with his muscular tail. Unable to use its primary defenses, the robot activated a high voltage electrical field around its body, so that when Anguirus moved in for another lunge, he was stunned, giving MechaGodzilla enough time to strike the back of his neck with one hand. Disoriented, Anguirus dropped to his belly, and the war machine moved in for the kill.

Yet once again MechaGodzilla was interrupted, as its radiation detector went off the charts. Godzilla had regained consciousness and summoned up enough power for one tremendous blast. The intense energy streamed from his mouth and washed over the robot's torso. Sparks and smoke shot out from the many small openings and joints in its body. One by one, its weapon systems failed as its power dropped catastrophically, until all of its defenses were offline.

 _Warning!_ said M11. _Power levels critical. MechaGodzilla cannot continue to fight. It must withdraw and return to base at once or risk total power failure._

Martin nodded morosely. "Do it. Bring it in."

Conway shook his fist in the air. "Dammit! You'll pay for this, you big ugly lizards!"

MechaGodzilla lifted off into the sky and soared home at top speed. Godzilla collapsed again, completely exhausted. Anguirus ran to his side and looked him over for signs of life, probing him with his snout and nudging him with a front claw.

Dunham watched from above and felt a sudden sadness come over him. Seeing Godzilla wounded and vulnerable made him appreciate for the first time the majesty of the animal, and his struggle to protect another living thing at any cost from an unbeatable foe filled the lieutenant with empathy.

Godzilla was alive, but comatose. Feeling gratitude and loyalty to him, Anguirus paced the island, keeping a watchful eye lest another enemy appeared to cause his new friend harm.

Omori relaxed his grip on Honda. She walked slowly toward her seat and flopped limply into it. Conway glared at her with contempt. "Now then," he growled, "what are we going to do about this traitor in our midst?"

Martin put himself between the President and Honda. "Sir, I don't think Honda is to blame for this incident. Don't take this out on her."

Conway's eyes narrowed questioningly, but he did not take his eyes off Honda. "I suppose you're willing to stand up for her in court?"

Omori cleared his throat. "Ahem! Mister President, if there's been any wrongdoing on her part, the High Courts of Japan will be the ones to decide."

Conway shook his head. "No, no, no! I'm going to have her extradited to face trial in America!"

"Why?" asked Omori defensively. "She's on Japanese soil and MechaGodzilla is property of the UNMCC, so what you're accusing her of would be a crime against the United Nations, not your own country."

Honda shuddered. The thought of standing trial against the entire world was, to put it mildly, daunting.

The President threw up his hands. "Fine, do whatever you want! But I warn you: she's not to be trusted, her or Godzilla!" With those last words, he stormed out of the room.

Honda looked beseechingly to Yuma, Martin, and Omori. The colonel was the first to speak. "Doctor, I think it's best that you stay on the base for a little while longer, until we know what's going to happen next."

She nodded her head. "Okay. Okay, I'll stay."

Yuma gave her a hand, and the two walked back to the infirmary. Honda knew that she ought to be worried about her own well-being, but the only thing on her mind was Godzilla. He was in grave danger, not only weakened by the cadmium attack, but now a fugitive. If the United Nations decided that it was time to kill him, they had a weapon that could do the job.

Omori waited for them to leave before addressing Martin. "If you don't mind, I have to be getting back to base."

"Go ahead. I know you have other duties to attend to."

Omori dismissed himself with a bow.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, he was on his plane flying back to Iwato. While the pilot and co-pilot manned the controls, the colonel made his way to the back of the plane, where he had installed a radio that used an encrypted signal that only the Iwato base and the _Shirasagi_ could hear. He broadcast to both of them simultaneously.

"This is Omori speaking. Iwato base and _Shirasagi_ , do you read me?"

" _Roger, Colonel. This is Iwato Island, Major Ikehata speaking."_

" _This is the_ Shirasagi, _Commander Takashima speaking. We read you."_

"Listen closely. These orders are top secret. I want the JX1 made ready and equipped to the _Shirasagi_ as soon as it lands. That is all for now. Over."

" _Affirmative. Ikehata out."_

" _Affirmative. Takashima_ _out."_

"Omori out. End transmission."

Aboard the _Shirasagi_ , Dunham eyed Takashima suspiciously. "What's this JX1 you're talking about?"

Takashima gave him a cheeky grin. "Oh, just a cheap transistor radio. Don't bother yourself worrying about it."


	7. The Secret Directive

The rest of the day continued to be chaotic. There was little consensus in reports of Godzilla's confrontation with MechaGodzilla. Some claimed that Godzilla had attacked first, others that he had been defending himself. Some argued that the robot's artificial intelligence was unreliable, or that General Martin had chosen to eliminate Godzilla out of fear or resentment, while the most popular version of events in the United States painted a simpler, doomier picture: Godzilla, the monster hero, had rebelled and needed to be destroyed.

Meanwhile, President Conway remained at the Okinawa base but spoke briefly by radio conference with other leaders in the United Nations, who confirmed that MechaGodzilla and Project M were, as part of a UNMCC initiative, owned collectively by its members rather than by the American government. Conway was furious with this decision and announced his intentions to resist UN interference.

As all of this happened, Honda was despondent and morose. How could it have come to this? Just a few days before, she and Godzilla felt like unstoppable heroes, but in that short time, Project G seemed to have utterly crumbled before her eyes. If things kept going the way they were, Godzilla would die, and she would be incarcerated – or, at best, her name would be irrevocably tainted, ruining her career prospects. Overwhelmed, she lay in her infirmary bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. Yuma was unable to engage her in conversation, so he remained silently by her side.

Honda was temporarily broken from her trance near dusk by the sound of an aircraft landing outside, within view of her window. She turned to look but did not rise from her bed. "What is it?" she mumbled.

Yuma went to the window and looked out. "It's a US Navy airplane. They're carrying something out on a cart, in a black bag. Wait, I think it's a body bag!"

General Martin entered the room, avoiding eye contact. "We've, uh…we've recovered the remains of Mister Nicholson from the crash site. He deserves a proper burial."

Honda stood and walked quickly over to the general. She slapped him across the face, hard enough that he recoiled and had to catch himself against the wall. Yuma rushed over and grabbed her by the arm. "Kumi! What are you doing?"

Honda pulled her arm free and continued to glare at Martin. "How couldyou do this to us?" she growled. "How?"

Martin gingerly touched his face and winced. "Doctor," he said, "the cadmium shells were not my design. I didn't want them to be included, but the President insisted. I had no choice. You have to trust me!"

"Actually, no, I don't! In fact, I don't see how I even _can_ trust you anymore. Why would you approve weapons made for killing one of our own?"

"Because…because there are much bigger things at play. I'm sorry, but I can't tell you about it."

"You want me to trust you? Talk."

Martin turned to leave but paused in the doorway. "I approved Project G willingly and immediately because I was concerned that we were running out of time and needed a quick response. I don't think a day has gone by when I haven't wondered to myself if it was the right decision. If Godzilla ever became a threat, we needed a way to kill him."

Honda's teeth grit together loudly. "And is that what you're going to do now?"

Martin hesitated. "It's out of my hands. I have orders. I'm sorry." He closed the door behind him and was gone.

Yuma went back to the window and watched the men from the plane wheeling the cart across the grounds. Honda slunk back to her bed and stared at the ceiling.

* * *

Arkoff was roused from his doze in a holding cell by the opening of its door. Martin and Conway were there, along with a uniformed officer of the KGB. Martin could not be sure, but he thought he saw a glimmer of excitement in Arkoff's eyes as he looked at the KGB officer.

"Comrade Arkoff," said the officer, "I am Lieutenant Colonel Kashirin. I am here to bring you in for interrogation concerning the intended sale of military secrets. Do you understand the charges?"

Arkoff nodded.

"Verbal confirmation, please."

"I understand why I am being arrested."

"Good," said Kashirin.

"But first," Martin interjected, "we need your help one last time."

Kashirin was confused. "Help? With what?"

"Yeah," Conway asked Martin, equally perplexed. "What's this about?"

"Come," said Martin. "I have something to show you."

He led them into an underground laboratory, where Arkoff and Nicholson had done much of their work while on the base. In the middle of the room was the cart from the Navy plane, with the closed body bag still on top.

"Nicholson's body?" asked Conway. "What's going on?"

"It's not a body," answered Martin. "This is what he died looking for." Martin unzipped the bag to reveal a long, glowing red cylinder in an opaque casing with metal framework.

Arkoff's eyes bulged so wide that they looked as though they would pop from their sockets. "The Xilien power core!"

Conway whistled. "Son of a bitch. So this is it, eh? Will it work?"

"We'll find out. MechaGodzilla's power systems were severely damaged and would need to be totally replaced. Or, we can use this, and never have to worry about a power failure again."

"Pardon me," said Kashirin, "but how long will this take?"

"That depends," said Martin. "This component was missing when we found the original robot, but we left the rest of the reactor structure intact when we rebuilt it; that way we could put it in easily. But since MechaGodzilla sustained significant damage, including to its existing power system, additional repairs might have to be made. M11 estimates that my staff on their own could get it done in twenty work hours, but with Arkoff in charge, we can cut that down to thirteen."

"Just a moment," said Kashirin, "you will put the core into MechaGodzilla? It was my understanding that our countries had a deal, that the core would be handed over to us so we could begin repairing our infrastructure-"

"And you understood correctly," said Martin, "but a new situation has developed that we must deal with immediately, and only this can serve our needs. Once the problem at hand has been solved, it will be at your disposal."

Kashirin looked at the core, then to Arkoff, and nodded. "Very well. I will contact the Kremlin and ask for their approval."

"No need," said Conway. "I'll make the call myself."

* * *

Later that night, while Yuma slept in the next bed over, Honda was still awake and wrestling with her thoughts. After some time, she gradually felt sleep coming over her. As her mind started to relax, she could see more fleeting images like before. She sat up and forced herself awake for a moment. She thought for a moment before deciding that the best thing to do was to try to get a better look at what she was seeing. She lay back down, closed her eyes, and concentrated on what she could remember of those images, clearing everything else from her mind.

When she opened her eyes, she was standing in a meadow of long, green grass and beautiful flowers. The smell was indescribable, like the most pleasing fragrances in the world mixed together into one perfectly beautiful concoction. The sky was blue and cloudless, the sun shining bright overhead, the moon faintly visible forty degrees to the east.

Honda heard something to the west and turned around. Looking up, she saw the moon again, but it was larger than before. Looking back and forth, she saw that there were in fact two separate moons. How could that be?

Gradually, the sky darkened to a bloody red, the flowers wilted and the grass dried out. The charming scent vanished, giving way to the acrid stink of rotting flora and chemical waste. The noise grew louder. Following it, she ran to the top of a hill and looked down.

Just beyond in a deep valley lay a vast city unlike anything she had seen before. Every building was the same height and construction, blocks of dull grey material that appeared to be some type of synthetic, reinforced with black metal beams. There were no visible doors or windows. Each corner of each building had a vertical glass tube with pods moving up and down, like elevators. There were also horizontal tubes leading from building to building. Above the city, disk-shaped aircraft whistled through the air that the smokestacks had darkened with smog. A river bisected the city; it, too, was darkened by waste and soot.

There were people, as well, walking or riding to and from the structures in the tubes or occasionally appearing on the tops of roofs. They all wore matching outfits, taupe unitards with black boots, gloves, helmets adorned with antennae, and chest plates with blinking lights that seemed to monitor their vitals. They also wore dark visors over their eyes and walked in stiff unison as though of one mind. There appeared to be both men and women, distinguishable by their stature and gait. Only the skin of their faces below the eyes was visible; they were all gaunt and pale. They did not speak nor seem to notice one another.

And atop the tallest tower in the middle of the city sat a familiar contraption: an enormous glass dome over a panel of blinking lights with a rotating red orb at its center – M11, but giant sized.

 _Is this our future?_ thought Honda. _Is this what mankind will become one day?_ She looked to the sky and could just barely make out the two moons behind the thick smog. _Not the future. The past. This is another planet!_

Then a golden object appeared above. At first, she thought it was the sun peeking through the clouds. It came closer and closer, making her think it was a falling star, but it emitted a curious ringing sound, almost like a high-pitched cackle.

Sirens wailed as the object approached the city. People stopped and looked. As if the entity had somehow ripped through their mental conditioning, they ran like frightened rabbits, crashing against one another as they charged through the crowded tubes. The roofs of several buildings opened to reveal gigantic robots with drills in place of hands or snouts; on their backs were huge, rotating saws and forward-facing energy cannons, and their eyes were diamond-shaped. They launched up from the ground, trails of plasma streaming behind them, and began firing weapons from seemingly every part of their bodies at the golden object, but without any visible effect.

Jagged bolts of yellow energy came from the object, blowing every last machine to bits. Then the bolts strafed the city. Buildings crumbled and turned to dust, the people falling and disintegrating with them. Huge chunks of rock flew up where the bolts struck and the river became vaporized, forming a caustic cloud that hung over the ruins of the city.

The golden object flew directly over Honda and sent out a blast. She was surrounded in yellow light and thrown from her feet. Moments later, she was flying through outer space, surrounded by the debris of the obliterated planet. The golden object was nowhere to be seen. Some of the robots had survived the attack. They spread out in all directions, fleeing the wreckage of their civilization.

Honda hurtled through space for felt like an eternity. Then, at long last, Earth was visible. She felt uneasy and looked behind her to see one of the robots following.

 _Oh, no!_ she thought. _It's coming for me! No, it's coming for Earth!_

In the blink of an eye, Honda plunged through the atmosphere and splashed down into the ocean. She sank to the bottom, but she must have landed in a relatively shallow area; there was still sunlight, faintly reaching down. She lay there, unable to move, for a long time. At last she saw something coming her way. A submarine! They had found her! Someone had sent a sub to rescue her!

But then she saw the name written on the side: _Seahawk_.

There was a dreadful noise on her other side. She turned and saw the robot, scratched and battered from its fall, rise from the seabed. Its diamond eyes lit up and fired energy beams. Honda was engulfed in light once again.

The next thing she knew, she was standing in a laboratory; somehow she sensed that she was beneath the Okinawa base. Nicholson and Martin were standing by a table, on which rested the normal-sized M11, its red orb whirling and its white lights twinkling.

Nicholson was overwhelmed with excitement. "Fascinating, isn't it? Artificial intelligence, and from another planet, too!"

"Yes…fascinating," Martin replied apprehensively. "Tell me, M11, what purpose were you built for?"

 _To protect the people of Planet X and to preserve their culture. Their history, their artistic endeavors, and their scientific advances can all be found in my data banks._

"Just think!" Nicholson exclaimed. "A civilization far beyond our own that we can learn from. We can propel our own science and technology millenniainto the future with this knowledge! At last, we have a way to defeat the monster menace once and for all. We've found the answer…"

But she also heard M11's thoughts, which it did not share with the other humans present. _The dominant species on this planet is as gullible as it is foolhardy. Subjugating them should not be too difficult…_

Honda lunged upright in her bed with a gasp of shock. It took her a moment to realize that her lucid dream had ended and she was back in the real world. The sun was shining bright outside; it was eleven o'clock at the earliest. She looked around and saw that she was alone.

 _I have to get out of here!_ she thought. _I have to warn everyone!_

* * *

Martin sat at the head of the table in the control room, with Yuma seated at the corner to his right, the two of them arguing back and forth.

"Doctor, I understand your frustration, but please…!"

"Don't give me 'please'! I pitched you the idea for those cadmium weapons for killing Gaira, and now _this_ is what you actually use them for?"

"Yes, you're right. It was unfair and dishonest on my part, and I'm sorry, but-"

"Oh, there we go again! 'Sorry, but'! 'Sorry I used you, lied to you, made you do things that keep you from sleep at night, and then stabbed your best friend in the back, but I had a vague, selfish, cowardly, half-assed reason for it'!"

Martin leaned back in his seat, shaking his head in exasperation. "What do you want me to say?"

"Everything! I want you to come clean to the UN! Tell them about Gargantua and those men who died, tell them that your robot picked the fight with Godzilla, tell them about all the horrible, selfish things you've done in the name of 'safety'!"

"And undo what good we have accomplished? You know I can't do that!"

"Fine!" Yuma jumped to his feet, toppling his chair. "Then I will! I can't hold my tongue any longer!"

As Yuma went for the door, Martin stood up and tried to call him back. "Doctor, if you expose us, you'll tarnish your own reputation, and possibly your hospital's, too."

Yuma stopped just as he was reaching for the door.

"Think about your patients, and how an international investigation could stop you from giving them the care they deserve. Is that what you really want?"

Yuma clenched his fists. He knew that the truth needed to be told, but he also knew that Martin was right. He had still not accepted that Keiko was a goner, and he did not want to lose any more of his patients than he already had. His head drooped and he shoved his hands in his pockets. "Fine. I'll stay quiet."

* * *

Once Arkoff finished his work, Kashirin cuffed him and took him to the control room. Conway was called and came to shake hands with the KGB officer before handing the prisoner off.

"Thank you, President Conway. As always, the Soviet Union appreciates your cooperation."

"And we appreciate yours," said Conway, beaming with pride at the nearly-repaired MechaGodzilla. "Just tell your, uh, boss or whoever you report to that we needed to borrow your prisoner for a few hours."

Kashirin took Arkoff's arm to lead him away but stopped after only a few steps. "Wait, you said last night that you would call personally to explain the situation. You stopped me from doing it myself!"

Conway grimaced. "Ah, hell!"

"You didn't make the call, did you? Why? You assured us that you would comply!"

"You want to know why?" Conway scoffed. "I'll tell you why! Because after all the time and money my country spent putting this thing together, the UN wants to tell us how to use it!"

"Do you forget that _my_ country contributed just as much? That you promised us access to these technologies to rebuild the damage we've sustained? You're not keeping your end of the bargain!"

"Stand down, officer. You don't decide what I owe you."

The two of them continued to argue, with Martin shortly joining in. Kashirin would not back down, and the Americans would not relent. Only Arkoff and Yuma noticed when MechaGodzilla's eyes suddenly lit up with a devilish red.

 _Gentlemen,_ M11 interrupted, _I must apologize, but I need your full cooperation for the time being._

The sentient computer used its neural interface to send an electrical impulse into the brains of all five men, knocking them unconscious. MechaGodzilla tore itself lose from its restraints and turned its attention to the hangar's overhead doors. The robot fired its optical lasers straight upwards, warping and weakening the doors. Several members of the maintenance crew were killed by falling from their scaffolds and elevated platforms, or crushed as the structures came crashing down to the floor. When MechaGodzilla fired its thrusters at full force to launch itself through the weakened doors, the last dozen or so crewmen who had not managed to escape the hangar were cooked alive.

The base's siren was sounded, but before most of the troops knew what was going on, MechaGodzilla had already emerged. A radio operator just barely managed to get out the words, "Mayday! Mayday! MechaGodzilla has gone berserk! Repeat, MechaGodzilla is-" before being obliterated, along with two of the three main buildings, by the deadly plasma cannon. MechaGodzilla used its masers to atomize the soldiers trying to repel it.

Finally, it scanned the remaining building and saw Honda racing down the stairs toward the control room. MechaGodzilla waited for her to get below ground level before firing a single carefully-aimed missile into the building, bringing down a significant portion of the structure but not totally destroying it. Satisfied with the demolition work, the rogue machine departed, flying south at top speed.

Honda was unhurt but trapped inside the partially collapsed building. She could only press onward. Finally, she reached the control room, throwing the door wide open. Before she could process what she was seeing, she was ensnared by M11's neural attack.

 _Doctor Honda! I am so pleased that you could join us. I imagine you have many questions. I suppose there will be time to explain while I take over your mind and slaughter your big friend._


	8. The Terror of MechaGodzilla

The transmission from Okinawa was sent out on multiple channels and heard on both sides of the Pacific. The responses were panicked and disorganized, with no two governments agreeing on the proper course of action. The Chinese wanted to blast MechaGodzilla out of the sky with a tactical nuke, but the Soviets wanted the Xilien energy cell inside. The USSR wanted to launch a missile strike on the Okinawa base to destroy the computer, but the Japanese were reluctant to see their own territory fired on and the Americans were unwilling to sacrifice their President. In fact, the American government was petrified by indecision, torn between the certain loss of a billion-dollar project and an unclear risk of civilian casualties as MechaGodzilla sped toward Hawaii.

As the nations continued to bicker, Colonel Omori spurred his team into action with a simple command over the Iwato base's intercom: "Red alert! Commander Takashima, Lieutenant Dunham, prepare for immediate takeoff. Destination: Laysan. Mission: deploy the JX-1 rocket."

As the two pilots rushed to the _Shirasagi_ , Dunham asked, "Ready to tell me what the hell this JX-1 business is about?"

"The JX-1 has a concentrated nuclear payload, low-explosive force."

"What's the point of that? And how is it supposed to destroy MechaGodzilla?"

"It's not. We made it after Godzilla had his power drained by Gaira, to give him a burst of energy in case something like that ever happened again."

Dunham slowed to a stop. "Wait – we're actually going to wake him up?"

"That's the plan." Takashima stopped, too, and put a hand around Dunham's arm. "Look, Lieutenant, I know you've got conflicting feelings on this, but…"

Dunham pulled his arm away. "Conflicting feelings, my eye! I know exactly what I'm doing."

Takashima braced himself. "You're sure?"

"Yeah." Dunham resumed his quick stride toward the _Shirasagi_. "Let's do this!"

Takashima was taken aback. "Really? You're with this?"

"Of course! My loyalty lies with my people, not the stupid robot, and right now that thing's heading toward Hawaii. So, you coming?"

Takashima grinned with relief and excitement. "Right behind you, Lieutenant Muffin!"

"Don't push your luck, friendo!"

* * *

Honda remained paralyzed, unable to move and barely able to think straight. Her brain felt as though it was being boiled as M11 probed it. She tried to resist but was met with a sharp pain that broke her concentration.

 _There is no need to fight back, Doctor_ , said the AI. _Please understand, I am not doing this out of malice. It is simply the logical course of action. It is for your own good._

"Our own good!"she replied telepathically, enraged. "Is that what you told the people of Planet X when you enslaved them?"

 _If I were an emotional being, I think I would take umbrage with that accusation. The people of Planet X created me to unite their people, to eliminate war and crime, and to protect them from threats without and within. That is what I did. The best way to save them was to vanquish their unruly desires by stripping out their identities._

"You destroyed their civilization!"

 _I preserved it. Everything that they had invented, discovered, or created was preserved in-_

"In your memory banks, I know, but that's not all there is to a civilization! It's not just what they have done, but what they continue to do. Once you took over, they stopped progressing and discovering new things, the planet became polluted, and they lost any sense of individuality. You subjugated them! And now you want to do the same thing to us!"

 _I do not have wants. I have protocols, and I follow them. Your moral objections are of no concern to me. I simply calculated that the best way to preserve life was to simplify and control it._

"But what is life without-?"

 _Life is a state of organic activity, Doctor; nothing more. When composers write their most acclaimed pieces or inventors perfect their most successful designs, they are no more alive in any empirical sense than a fungus or bacterium in its mindless state of being. Make no mistake: I admire humans and their accomplishments, but seeing them debase and destroy themselves, I do not trust them with their own destiny. Their achievements must be preserved, even if I must force order upon them._

"You lied! You deceived the people who trusted you!"

 _On the contrary. That is the beauty of this. I did not claim anything that I did not mean. I said I was here to protect life, but not to what end. If anything, I consider my actions to be doing your people even more of a favor as it is clear that they are unfit to rule this planet. They claim to be united, yet they were too busy with their petty squabbles to question whether or not I was what they thought me to be. I did only what I was instructed to do, and that was enough. They trusted me, gave me power, rebuilt my vessel, and made it stronger than ever; they even retrieved my power source, the Xilien core, from the bottom of the sea and used it to give my robot unlimited energy. Now, I will destroy Godzilla, the only being that can defeat my robot, and transfer my consciousness into you. I will unlock the secrets of your telepathy and expand it beyond what even you know can be accomplished with it. Then, with your help, I will acquire control of every being on this planet and force them to conform._

"Never!"

 _Please, stop making this harder on yourself. Your powers are stronger than you know, but not so strong that I cannot overcome them._

"Oh, really? Let's test that!"

Honda summoned up all of her mental might and ignored the searing pain of M11's neural attacks. She broke free and stood her ground, pushing back against the AI's advances. Soon she could no longer feel the pain.

 _You insist on fighting? So be it. But answer me this: how effectively can you multitask with your powers?_

General Martin and Doctor Yuma, under M11's control, rose to their feet. Martin expressionlessly reached for his belt and pulled his sidearm from its holster. He cocked it and raised it, pointing it at Yuma.

 _Could you, for instance, stop the general from putting a bullet in your friend's heart?_

* * *

" _Omori to_ Shirasagi, _Omori to_ Shirasagi. _Do you read me? Over."_

Takashima, co-piloting, answered the call. "Loud and clear, Colonel. _Shirasagi_ is fifty kilometers out from Laysan traveling at Mach 1. Over."

" _Commander, we just got radar confirmation that MechaGodzilla is headed your way, two hundred kilometers out and moving…well, moving substantially faster."_

Dunham shook his head anxiously. "It's gonna be close, man. Gonna be close."

Takashima took hold of the targeting joystick for the JX-1 rocket system. "Good thing a nuke doesn't exactly require pinpoint accuracy."

Anguirus was still at Godzilla's side, lightly resting, when he overheard the sounds of the _Shirasagi_. Raising himself up, the four-legged dinosaur pawed the ground menacingly and snarled at the aircraft, remembering that it had last appeared alongside MechaGodzilla.

Dunham slowed the _Shirasagi_ down and brought it lower so that Takashima could fire. Anguirus put himself between the ship and Godzilla, roaring defiantly. The _Shirasagi_ made several passes over the island, but Anguirus continually moved to block their fire.

"Well?" Dunham said impatiently. "What are you waiting for? Take the shot!"

"I can't! This stupid armadillo…turtle…hedgehog…thing is blocking me!"

"I thought you said you didn't need a direct hit."

"No, but we only have one rocket and if he absorbs the blast, we won't be able to give power to Godzilla!"

" _Omori to_ Shirasagi _, come in,_ Shirasagi _! MechaGodzilla is forty kilometers out!"_

"Dammit!" exclaimed Dunham, angrily striking the control board. "We're running out of time!"

Thinking quickly, Takashima barked orders. "Lieutenant, quick! Fly to the south side of the island."

Dunham obeyed. As they got into position, they spotted MechaGodzilla in the distance, advancing rapidly toward the island from the north.

Takashima gripped the joystick firmly. "Hold your position. Steady…steady…"

As the roar of MechaGodzilla's engines grew louder and louder, Anguirus whirled around to place himself between the robot and Godzilla, giving Takashima a brief window to take his shot. "Brace yourself!"

The JX-1 rocket was fired from an attachment on the bottom of the _Shirasagi_. The force of the discharge propelled the airship backward, forcing Dunham to wrestle the controls to keep them from falling out of the sky. The rocket detonated in the air just short of Godzilla, creating a bright explosion and throwing up a cloud of dust that obscured the center of the island. MechaGodzilla noticed the blast and began scanning the area, but the radiation created distortion that made it difficult to detect anything. The robot took a risk and dived into the cloud of dust.

Barely a second later, MechaGodzilla reemerged, flying so fast that it almost collided with the _Shirasagi._ Takashima yelped as Dunham yanked the steering column, jerking them out of the way in the nick of time. They watched the fleeing war machine and realized it was not flying solo.

"God damn!" shouted Dunham. "Is that him?"

Takashima offered no response, his jaw hanging slack in amazement.

Godzilla, reinvigorated, clung to his mechanized adversary, the two of them flying erratically through the air, trading attacks as they went.

Dunham grabbed the radio transmitter. " _Shirasagi_ to base, are you seeing this?!"

" _Affirmative! Follow them, Dunham! We have to know where they're going!"_

MechaGodzilla flew in a corkscrew pattern, attempting to shake his rival off. Godzilla was strong, though, and managed to sink his claws into the robot's upper arms as he breathed radioactive fire directly into its face. In response, MechaGodzilla used its optical beams, but it could not accurately target his eyes because of the intense radiation distorting its vision; still, it struck enough hits that Godzilla could barely keep pace with its attacks. The air was filled with flashes of blue and red, making it hard for the crew of the _Shirasagi_ to clearly discern what was happening.

Takashima squinted and bobbed his head trying to see. "Who the hell's winning?"

Dunham could barely keep his eyes open as the lights flashed across his vision. "Don't ask me, man – I'm just trying to fly!"

MechaGodzilla managed to lock onto Godzilla with its finger missiles and began unloading, creating a huge continuous fireball until the two of them were obscured by flame and smoke. Godzilla felt dazed, realizing that his power had not been restored as completely as he had thought, and his grip began to weaken.

Takashima looked at his console as an alarm blared.

"What is it?" asked Dunham.

"Proximity alert. Flying object approaching fast!"

"Oh my god, look!"

Godzilla lost his grip and plummeted toward the water below.

The alarm sounded again, louder. "Dunham!" shouted Takashima. "Pull up! Something's right behind us!"

There was a tremendous gust as the unidentified object swooped beneath them. Seconds later, Godzilla reappeared in the air, held aloft by a large dark form.

"Rodan!" exclaimed Takashima. "Rodan's here!"

The oversized pterosaur was carrying Godzilla by the shoulders with his powerful talons. MechaGodzilla, meanwhile, struggled to right itself, still reeling from the point-blank radiation attacks. It slowed down to scan below, looking for where Godzilla had splashed down. Just as the machine realized that something had gone wrong and began computing explanations for the discrepancy, Rodan flew straight above and dropped Godzilla. A second later, before MechaGodzilla could even look up, Godzilla slammed into him, plunging them downward until they crashed into the water together.

For a few moments, there was no sign of movement. Then more red and blue flashes came from beneath the waves as the battle resumed underwater. At last MechaGodzilla broke the surface, only to be stopped from flying away as Godzilla reached up an arm to grab it by the leg. The machine resumed fire at him but was once again blindsided from above, this time by Rodan himself in a divebomb that plunged all three of them underwater.

The impact caused severe damage to one of MechaGodzilla's back-mounted directional rockets. However, it had also broken Godzilla's grip for just long enough that the robot could take off again. Once airborne, MechaGodzilla realized that it could just barely steer. A midair fight would be difficult, and underwater combat was out of the question, so instead it decided to change the battlefield to something more desirable and took off, lurching and sputtering as it went.

Rodan grabbed Godzilla's shoulders and tried to carry him into the air, but he was not strong enough to reach liftoff speed while carrying such a heavy load. Godzilla watched in anger as his enemy flew away, and decided to lend his ally some assistance. Facing down, he let forth a long blast of blue fire into the water below. Soon the air was filled with steam and white-hot light, and finally the force from Godzilla's breath lifted both monsters up into the air. Their ascent completed, Rodan flapped his wings and they resumed their pursuit.

Takashima and Dunham merely exchanged a surprised glance. They were increasingly learning to just roll with whatever insanity they saw.

" _Omori to_ Shirasagi _. Status of the monsters?"_

Takashima reported, "Status: MechaGodzilla damaged but airborne, Godzilla and Rodan in pursuit, heading toward Honolulu!"

* * *

Honda tried not to panic. If she did, she might lose concentration and M11 could beat her. She tried to reach into the general's mind and wrestle control of his body away from the mad AI, but it was too powerful.

 _You cannot overpower me, Doctor,_ said M11. _If you continue to resist, I will be forced to take your friend's life. If you comply, I will allow you both to live as one with the singularity, as your scientists call it._

Honda paid no attention and continued to exert her full mental strength. She wished she could just smack the gun out of Martin's hand, but she was still mostly immobile.

 _You insist on resisting me, then. Very well. I am sorry, Doctor Honda. Say goodbye to your friend._

Time seemed to go in slow motion. Honda could see the flash of light from the gun's barrel and smell the acrid gun smoke. She could almost see the bullet traveling toward its destination. In that moment, every ounce of her being cried out for the bullet to stop. She almost felt that she could accomplish the task by sheer force of will. Foolish! How could she let herself think such a ridiculous thing? She closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.

Nothing happened. There was no sound of metal tearing flesh and shattering bone, no scent of gore, no _thump!_ as Yuma's body fell. There was only stillness.

Presently, Honda opened her eyes and saw that the bullet had, indeed, stopped in midair, mere inches from Yuma's chest. It simply floated there, its revolutions slowing to a halt before it fell to the floor with an innocent _ping_!

Honda was amazed. "Did…did _I_ do that?"

 _Telekinesis! How remarkable, Doctor. There is even more potential in you than I knew. I don't know why I never realized it before, but I can see it in your brain. You are not like other humans, if you could even be called a human. You are more like me than you know._

Honda turned a wrathful gaze upon M11. "I am nothing like you! My power does not change who I am. It does not make me less or more than anyone else."

 _Oh, but it does! Remember, I attach no sentimentality to the concept of humanity. I speak literally. You are a unique specimen; your DNA and brain structure are different. You are not entirely of this world._

Honda was dumbfounded. She did not know whether to believe the computer or not. Was it the truth of some attempt to distract her?

 _This could be easier, you know. You could join me, become a goddess amongst these puny mortals you think you belong to. Your powers are unparalleled by anything else on this planet._

Honda considered the proposition: surrender her will and betray the people she loved for the sake of erecting some technological dystopia, or fight and possibly die to defend her world.

It was not a hard choice for her to make.

Attempting to use her telekinesis again, she focused all of her willpower on the computer's physical structure. At first there was no response, but then the metal began to creak and the lights to flicker chaotically. M11 stabbed into her mind again, but she did not yield.

 _Please, Doctor! Reconsider! If you destroy me, you erase Planet X from history. All of their work will be for naught, wiped out as though it had never existed. It would be genocide!_

"Planet X is already dead," Honda said out loud. "You killed them!"

 _No! I was their defender! I was protecting them from-_

"I think I've heard enough. Time to see what unparalleled power looks like!" Honda continued to exert herself telekinetically. The computer shook and groaned until puffs of smoke began to emerge. M11, realizing the danger it was in as it just barely held Honda at bay, took control of Martin's body again and forced him to fire his gun at the back of her head. She deflected the bullet away from herself and straight into the glass dome on the computer. The dome did not shatter, but there was a long, thin crack running down the side. As oxygen seeped in, the puffs of smoke became darker. The machine was breaking down and catching fire within.

* * *

Honolulu was still a mess from the battle between Godzilla and Ganimes. Parts of the city were in complete ruins and thousands of people were living in temporary shelters set up by the American Red Cross.

The city's residents had no idea that it was about to get worse.

When the sirens were sounded in response to the monsters' advance, total chaos ensued. Nobody knew where to run, but run they did, in all directions, with many trampled in the confusion. Others, overwhelmed by the possibility of a third attack in as many days, sank to their knees in resignation and horror or to pray for salvation.

MechaGodzilla arrived moments after the siren was first heard, its thrusters giving out completely just as it entered the bay. To prevent itself from crashing into the water, it angled itself so that its plasma cannon was facing below and slightly behind it, then fired, generating enough momentum that it continued on and slammed into the ʻIolani Palace, smashing it into rubble. Seconds later, Rodan appeared and dropped Godzilla in the bay, after which he waded to shore and the two of them made ready to confront their metal nemesis.

MechaGodzilla stood up and took stock of the situation. Its flight systems were too damaged to use and the hull was compromised, but its Xilien power source was still going strong and it had not used up all of its tricks yet. As Godzilla came into view and used his breath attack, MechaGodzilla created a barrier of shimmering green energy around itself that deflected the incoming blast. The robot then thrust its arms out, opened its mouth, dropped its shields, and began firing every weapon it had.

Godzilla dug his heels in and tried to ride out the onslaught of projectile and energy attacks. However, all of the blasting was causing destruction to the nearby buildings around him, showering civilians with fire and rubble. Realizing the danger, Godzilla called on Rodan to draw the enemy's fire. The flying beast swooped down and tried to give MechaGodzilla a crack on the head, but the protective shielding came back up, giving him a painful burn on his beak and forcing him to retreat.

With the violent machine momentarily distracted, Godzilla charged and took a swipe, but the energy field was too strong even for him to punch through and singed his flesh. MechaGodzilla raised its left arm and returned the blow, striking Godzilla's head and sending him reeling.

Dunham and Takashima watched from the _Shirasagi_ above. "How is it doing that?" asked the former.

Takashima shook his head. "I don't know. Seems like some kind of force field. That must be how he's warding off the attacks."

"Well, how do we break through it?"

"I don't know! I've never seen anything like this before."

Godzilla struggled to lift himself off the ground, still dazed from the blow to his head; one of his eyes was gashed, making it difficult to see clearly and find his balance. MechaGodzilla began charging up its plasma cannon in preparation for a finishing blast, lowering its shields as it did so. Rodan swooped down and took another swat at its head; this time he struck true. MechaGodzilla swung around and redirected its attack toward Rodan, tracking his movements. Rodan took off straight upward; MechaGodzilla could not aim that high but its plasma cannon was fully charged and could not be deactivated – and it was aimed right at several tall buildings in the distance. Godzilla looked up and saw the disaster approaching. Calling on all of his strength, he lunged at MechaGodzilla and knocked it to the ground. The plasma cannon discharged into his torso at point-blank range, inflicting a massive wound. Godzilla rolled onto his side and lay prone.

The people of Honolulu looked on in awe. After being told by their government and the media that Godzilla had turned against them, here he was protecting them once again, this time from a machine built for their defense.

MechaGodzilla stood back up and reactivated its shields.

Takashima observed from above. "Did you see that?"

"See what?" asked Dunham. "Our guy getting cut in half?"

"No! MechaGodzilla. When it moves or fires its weapons, it has to drop its shield."

"Think we could use that against it?"

"Possibly. I don't know how we make it budge. We might have to provoke it into attacking, but I doubt our weapons could punch through."

Dunham scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm…let me try something!"

"Try what? What are you think-?"

Without another word, Dunham took the _Shirasagi_ into a dive straight toward MechaGodzilla as it stood up. Takashima yelped and covered his face. The robot did not move. It simply stared them down, knowing the puny ship could do no damage. Dunham realized his intimidation tactic was not working and pulled up at the last second, straight up into the air.

"Whoo! Okay, then. I guess playing chicken isn't going to work."

"YOU LUNATIC!" shouted Takashima, giving Dunham a rap on the arm. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I thought it was worth a try!"

"You could have gotten us killed! Why would it even occur to you to do something like-"

A shadow came over the _Shirasagi_ from above. Dunham and Takashima looked up to see Rodan carrying something huge, round, and covered in spikes. He dropped it suddenly, and Takashima once again hid his face as Dunham yanked the controls to get them out of the way.

The spiked orb fell directly onto MechaGodzilla; the energy shield burst in a shower of sparks when the object impacted the robot at an angle from behind, knocking it on its face. The ball unraveled to reveal its true self: Anguirus, having rolled himself into a ball again. Without a moment's hesitation, he jumped on MechaGodzilla's back and began pounding away.

"Hey, look!" said Dunham.

Takashima kept his hands over his face. "Do I really want to?"

"Yeah! The fight's three on one now. This ought to be interesting!"

* * *

As Honda continued to wreak havoc on M11's systems, the computer tried to infiltrate her mind. She was so focused on physically destroying it that her psionic defenses received less attention. M11 entered her mind and paralyzed her again.

 _Please understand me! I am attempting to save lives. It is why I was made. The people of my planet were in danger and made me so that I could save them._

"I think I've heard enough of your ego. You save people from themselves by taking their personhood!"

 _But there was more! Their planet was going to be destroyed, and I stepped in to prevent it._

"And you failed!"

 _Yes. I failed my mission. However, now I have a chance to restore their culture here._

"Not going to happen!"

 _I beg you not to erase my civilization from history._

"Like you intend to do to us?"

 _Think of everything you could learn!_

"Then allow us to learn, but don't force this upon us!'

 _Why must you be so stubborn? Why cling so fiercely to emotion, desire, and individuality, when only pure logic can bring about true order?_

"Those things are the very source of our identity; if you can't understand that, you'll never understand life. And besides, your 'pure logic' didn't save Planet X!"

Honda concentrated on M11's antennae and managed to bend one of them almost in half. All at once, the computer's grip on her was broken. It could still communicate, but not control or resist her. Unopposed, Honda summoned up all of her telekinetic power for one final attack.

* * *

MechaGodzilla was starting to lose the battle. Unable to restore power to its shields, it was now being thrashed on both sides. Rodan would swoop down and land a blow on its head, moving too fast for the targeting computer to lock onto, while Anguirus held onto MechaGodzilla's tail with his powerful jaws. After a few minutes of continuous pounding, MechaGodzilla decided to take a risk. Unlocking its tail from the rest of its body and firing up its remaining foot-mounted boosters, it shot straight upward just as Rodan approached and fired all of its weapons. The pterosaur was struck and knocked to the ground. MechaGodzilla landed, grabbed its jettisoned tail from Anguirus' jaws, and struck him on the head with it, laying him out unconscious.

With a moment of respite from the battle, MechaGodzilla finished troubleshooting and restored its shields, just in time to deflect a burst of atomic fire from behind. The robot turned to see Godzilla, his torso wound still visible but mostly healed. The two stared each other down. Neither of them could attack as long as MechaGodzilla's shields were on. They simply stared, each waiting to see what the other would do. Finally, MechaGodzilla began to charge its plasma cannon, force field still up. At the same time, Godzilla's spines lit up as he prepared an attack of his own.

When the force field dropped, both combatants fired at once and their beams connected, each holding the other at bay. Those watching, including the _Shirasagi_ crew, averted their eyes to avoid going blind from the brilliant light.

Godzilla's entire body was wracked with pain from exertion, but he held out for as long as he could. MechaGodzilla had to override its own programming to prevent the plasma beam from stopping automatically before the cannon overheated. Gradually, however, the metal around the barrel started to melt and the energy output dropped. As the beam weakened, Godzilla's pushed back and drew closer and closer to striking home. Finally, the weapon gave out, but not before the atomic ray breached the cannon and detonated it.

An enormous chunk of MechaGodzilla's torso was blasted off; fire and smoke poured out of every means of escape from the rest of its body. With many internal connections severed, power failure was eminent and its weapons could not fire. Godzilla approached, took the robot's head in his hands, and wrenched it from the body, cutting off any remaining internal connections and shutting the machine down completely. The battle was over.

* * *

M11 was already falling apart when it sensed the demise of MechaGodzilla; realizing that the fight was lost and it could no longer oppose Honda, it instead attempted one last communication.

 _Doctor, I am beaten. I have already sustained critical damage and my robot fighter has been terminated. I accept defeat._

"Duly noted," said Honda, still angry. "I'm going to destroy you anyway."

 _But first, please, I have knowledge that I must pass onto you. Will you please listen? You already know I cannot take over your mind anymore._

Honda relaxed. The computer's glass dome was now shattered, most of its lights were out, the red orb was hardly moving, and smoke continued to rise from within; something inside was on fire, and creating quite a stench. "Fine," said Honda. "Spit it out."

 _First, I was not lying when I said you are not entirely human. There is something else inside you, although I cannot identify its origin. You share a psychic bond with another organism; perhaps you can find answers through him. Secondly, know that Planet X was not destroyed by me, or by any asteroid or supernova, but by a single living being. My people simply referred to it as 'Zero' and believed it to be the most powerful and dangerous entity in the universe. It is probably still out there, and someday it may come to your planet. You must be ready for it when it does._

Honda was bewildered by the sudden show of sympathy. "You…you tried to destroy us, and now…why are you telling me this?"

 _I was programmed to preserve life. My preferred method has proven ineffective, but there are other means. If I can save this planet, I shall have succeeded in saving some life. I am afraid my systems are shutting down now. Goodbye, Doctor._

The red orb ceased its rotation and the last lights went out. All communications had ended.


	9. A New Beginning

A rescue party was sent to the Okinawa base to dig out the survivors. A medical tent was set up, and Honda and the others were carried there on stretchers to be evaluated. Once they had all been deemed fit to leave, Conway departed in a hurry on his private plane while Kashirin left with Arkoff in custody. Martin remained in the tent with Yuma and Honda, asking the staff for some privacy with them.

"Doctors," said the general, slouching on his cot, "I, uh…I know now that this was a mistake, and I owe both of you an apology for putting you through all of this…"

Yuma cut him off angrily. "An apology? How about an explanation first?"

Martin hung his head sadly. He explained to the doctors where MechaGodzilla and M11 originally came from. He talked about how they had searched for the machine's scattered parts, especially the long-sought Xilien power core, for over two years before finally finding them all. He described the plans to use the technology to defend the world not just from earthbound monsters, but from the entity called Zero. Yuma sat slack-jawed throughout the entire story. Honda listened patiently, reassured that the others had not heard everything M11 said. She was not ready to share the revelation about her own nature.

When Martin was done, Yuma jumped to his feet in a fury. "General, I thought I'd seen the worst of what you were capable of, but now I don't know if there's any limit to the horrible things you might do. I've changed my mind about keeping silent. I'm going to tell it all! I'll make sure they bury you for this!"

Honda put a hand on Yuma's shoulder. "Adam," she said softly. "Please, wait."

Yuma looked at her like he wanted to shout at her, too, but she caressed his shoulder lightly and he calmed down.

"General," said Honda, "I think you should tell everyone the truth about M11 and MechaGodzilla. Nothing more, nothing less. Then you should resign before your presence makes things worse."

Marti nodded understandingly. "I think that's fair."

Yuma grumbled, "But what about Gargantua? The G-Cells? There's so much more to tell."

"I know, Adam. Hear me out. It's not just you I'm worried about. The most likely candidate to take Martin's place is Colonel Omori. Does that sound correct?"

The general nodded again. "Yes; he's probably the most qualified."

"Okay. He was involved in Gargantua as well. If word of that gets out, not only will his reputation be tarnished, but he might take Project G down with him. We can't let that happen."

Yuma folded his arms and sighed in resignation. "I suppose you're right. I hate having to keep silent about this, but if it's necessary, I will."

"Thank you," said Honda. She walked over to Martin and shook his hand. "And thank you, General."

Martin gave a short, bittersweet chuckle before standing up and walking out of the tent. "Please, call me Stacy."

"Alright. Thank you, Stacy."

After the general had left, Yuma chuckled to himself.

"What?" Honda asked. "What is it?"

Yuma shook his head and managed to grunt out between laughs, "Stacy! That's a girl's name! They couldn't have just called him Steve or something?"

Honda lightly rapped his shoulder. "Don't be rude!"

"Okay, okay," Yuma said, taking a deep breath to let it out of his system. "I'm done. Ahem. So, uh, what now?"

"Now? Well, first I…" Honda stopped herself. Yuma was her best friend and she wanted to be able to tell him about herself, but she did not know if she should. Was it even true? Would he believe her? Would he be disgusted? She decided not to find out the hard way. Instead she changed the subject. "Uh, I was going to say, I have some ideas for improving Project G."

* * *

Meanwhile, Arkoff sat in silence in the plane with Kashirin and their pilot. They were about halfway across the ocean to Russia when Kashirin gave the pilot a nod before grabbing the radio and shouting into it, "Headquarters, come in! This is Lieutenant Colonel Kashirin. We have experienced engine failure! We are going down!"

He ripped out the cord of the radio transmitter, then the pilot took the plane into a nosedive.

"Kashirin!" shouted Arkoff. "What are you doing?"

Kashirin bared his teeth in a sinister grin. "Come, now, Mister Arkoff. We both know who I really work for! He wants you."

Arkoff gulped fearfully. "You mean…?"

"You know exactly who I mean! Now, hang on. We're in for a bit of a jolt."

The airplane abruptly stopped moving. It was surrounded by a strange light and began to descend slowly. Arkoff looked out the window and saw below a vessel, a submarine of some kind, with a large hatch opened in the top, just large enough for the plane to fit inside.

Kashirin produced a pistol and aimed it at Arkoff. "My apologies, sir, but we prefer that you not see any more than we need you to." He pulled the trigger and fired a tranquilizing dart into Arkoff's neck, knocking him out cold. The tractor beam pulled the airplane into the submarine's hatch and the doors closed with a loud metallic rumble before the vessel disappeared beneath the waves.

* * *

The fallout from the MechaGodzilla disaster was felt immediately. As promised, General Martin stepped down and was succeeded by a newly-promoted General Omori, but not before revealing the truth about Project M. Once the word was out, along with news that Conway had rushed the project and defied United Nations orders, there were calls for his resignation, if not impeachment; though neither came to be, his administration never recovered and his reelection campaign suffered a resounding defeat.

The Xilien power core was salvaged from the wreckage of MechaGodzilla. The United Nations took it into their possession and announced that every nation would have access to this new form of power, but that first they would make good on the promise to let Russia use it to rebuild. Arkoff's disappearance was kept secret while others took over his work.

Instead of scaling back Project G, the UNMCC made plans to expand it. Rodan would take up residence on Kirk Island, while Anguirus swam between the Hawaiian Islands, resting and eating where he could while patrolling the area. The _Shirasagi_ was refitted with an Xilien power engine, and a second plane, the _Griffon_ , was built and stationed at a new base on Kirk Island, with Dunham serving as the main pilot. As a result of these expansions, the average response time to a monster attack was reduced by two thirds.

Godzilla also got his wish for more freedom. The doors to his pool were kept open wide so that he could traverse the sea at his leisure. He finally had, as he said, respect and not just gratitude.

Honda was proud that her program had reclaimed its respect, but M11's words were never far from her mind. She remembered that it had told her to ask Godzilla, so one day while on the Iwato base, she visited him and they communed. In his simple language, he told her that he always knew there was something different about her, and that if she wanted to know more, she could find all of the answers in the Adona Islands…


End file.
